Going Home
by Copper's Mama
Summary: A SS/HG fic. AU. Hermione goes back to Hogwarts to teach Muggle Studies. Snape is shocked to see the annoying brat with a child of her own, but no husband? Snape tries to figure out who the father is, romance ensues. Please read and review! Sequel's up!
1. Chapter 1

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_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

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_Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't be writing fanfics. _

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_Timeline__: _

_Birthday: September 19, 1979_

_Hermione graduates June 20, 1997 _

_On the night of her 18th birthday (September 19, 1997) Hermione gets pregnant. This is 3 months after graduation. _

_January 23__rd__, 1998, Harry and Ginny get married at the burrow. _

_Hermione gives birth on June 13__th__, 1998 to Samantha Ginevra Molly Granger. _

_August 1__st__, 2001, receives first letter from Headmistress McGonagall to take over the Muggle Studies job. _

_August 20__th__ 2001, arrives at Hogwarts to begin preparations for the school year. _

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_A/N: Okay, so I got the idea for this story from reading another fic by "fervesco". Great story, I loved it, and it brought about this story. Woot, woot! _

_So … background: Hermione comes back to Hogwarts to take over Muggle Studies. She's been out of school 4 years and has a 3-year old daughter. For the purposes of the Final Battle and all, in my story, they were able to do a "crash course" for the classes they'd missed their last year, and take the final exams on time. _

_This is obviously going to be AU, since Snape is alive, but I'm not bringing back Dumbledore, as much as I love the old man, I like McGonagall better. Anyway, if you happen to see other characters that are supposed to be dead, that aren't in my fic, it's probably because I decided they're not dead in my world, and that's just that. _

_So, yeah … that's about all you need to know. Sit back and enjoy the ride. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

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"Are you almost ready Sweetie?" the woman asked her daughter, helping her zip up her coat.

"Yes, Mummy," the little girl answered, picking up her favorite toy and smiling at her mother.

Hermione smiled, shrinking their luggage and sticking it in her pocket. "Alright then, Sweetie, hold onto my hand."

Holding the small girl's hand tightly in hers, Hermione threw a generous amount of Floo Powder into the fire before they both stepped in.

"Hogwarts, Hermione Granger's rooms," Hermione directed, and when she opened them again, they were in a new room.

Stepping out and brushing the soot off her daughter, Hermione looked around her new home, resisting the urge to whistle. _Oh, hell, it is my rooms after all!_ So, she whistled her appreciation.

Their last apartment had been tiny. It was a fact that Hermione had come to terms with: being poor meant living in a poor neighborhood. Being a single mum at 21 was never her plan, but here they were and that was life. Looking around their new home, Hermione forgot all that, and was simply in awe. She wondered how, for the life of her, she'd never seen the staff living quarters at Hogwarts before. They were incredible, if her rooms were anything to go by.

She remembered her last day at Hogwarts, the Convocation Ceremony, the indoor Fireworks courtesy of Fred and George's merchandise, the laughter and the tears, the farewell's with promises to write every day. Harry had gone to live with Sirius at Grimmauld Place, and he and Ginny had gotten engaged 6 months later (Which reminded Hermione that she should hurry up and get her new place set up so Ginny could bring Crookshanks back. He hated moving, so Harry and Ginny were "cat-sitting" until the new place was set up). The wedding had been beautiful, and Hermione had barely squeezed into her bridesmaid dress – being 4 months pregnant didn't help – but she'd managed it, and had even managed to have a fairly enjoyable evening.

When she'd told her friends she was pregnant, they all tried to be supportive, Ron had even offered to marry her, especially when they learned of the circumstances under which she'd become pregnant, but she'd insisted she would be fine on her own.

Even now she was wondering if they didn't have something to do with her new job at Hogwarts.

She'd been shocked when she'd received an owl from Minerva McGonagall asking her if she would be interested in teaching Muggle Studies, as the new teacher they'd hired after the war evidently "couldn't hack it", and had to be replaced. She had replied immediately that she would love the opportunity, but her living situation was a bit awkward now that she had a child.

Before the Headmistress could inquire as to why the child couldn't stay home with her father, Hermione had filled her in on her "situation", and explained why she couldn't take a job away from her daughter.

The other woman assured her that there was no reason why the girl couldn't stay with her mother at Hogwarts, so long as she was properly supervised, and in the end Hermione had agreed to receiving help from the house elves whenever a sitter couldn't be found.

So, here she was, in a school she hadn't stepped foot in for 4 years, and it still felt huge to her.

Hermione checked her watch. Molly would be arriving in a few minutes to watch Samantha so she could meet with the Headmistress, so she helped her daughter out of her traveling clothes and let her go play, intent on getting their basic furniture set up before she left.

The rooms felt as though they'd been made for them, as Hermione found a large master bedroom with a smaller bedroom right beside it, with enough room for all of their things and then some, and close enough that Samantha wouldn't get scared at night.

She set up hers and her daughter's beds, and was just finishing decorating Samantha's room when she heard the fireplace activate, and she knew that Molly Weasley was here.

"Hello? Hermione?" she heard the older woman call, and she stepped out of Samantha's room and made her way to the living room.

"Hello, Molly," Hermione said, and the other woman hugged her in greeting. "Good to see you. Thanks for coming on such short notice."

Molly waved her off. "Nonsense! Happy to do it! I've been itching to take care of youngin's again. Now that Ginny's pregnant I can hardly wait!"

"I bet," Hermione agreed. Spotting her daughter playing with her favorite stuffed animal, she called her over. "Sammy, come say hello to your Auntie Molly."

The little girl picked up her toy and walked over, hugging Mrs. Weasley's leg. "Hello Auntie Molly. It's nice to see you," she said.

"Oh my, she's gotten so much bigger since her birthday party!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, picking the child up to give her a proper hug.

"Let's just hope she grows up to be taller than her mum," Hermione commented, though she secretly wished she took after her completely.

Samantha was the proper size for her age; a good 40 inches tall, with long brown hair, bushy just like her mother's. Her eyes were a deep brown, and she had a light smattering of freckles across her nose and down her arms. Hermione hoped she'd grow out of them as she got older, as Hermione herself didn't have a freckle on her. A few birthmarks, but no freckles.

"You'd better get going, yeah? Don't want to be late meeting the Headmistress," Molly reminded her, snapping Hermione out of her daze.

"Of course," she replied. Crouching down to her daughter's height, she said, "Mummy has to go for a while, but Auntie Molly is going to stay with you. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

Samantha nodded, giving her mother a quick hug and a kiss on the nose.

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Sweetie."

"You're welcome, Mummy. Bye-bye," she said, walking away to play with her toy again.

The two women shared a look of adoration after the little girl, and then Hermione left to meet Minerva.

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"So, everything's in order, then," Minerva McGonagall finished, sending the last of the paperwork into a file cabinet with a flick of her wand.

"Great," Hermione said. "I can't wait to start."

Minerva nodded, standing up. "And I can't wait to meet this charming daughter of yours."

Hermione smiled. "Do you have time now?"

"Of course," her old professor agreed, and they made their way back to Hermione's rooms.

Hermione was expecting to run into more of her old teachers, but the only person she saw on her way back to her rooms was Nearly-Headless Nick. He patted her shoulder in welcome, and she instantly felt the cold seep into her arm, but smiled anyway.

"Great to see you, Nick. I'll be seeing a lot more of you now," she said, and they chatted shortly about her becoming the new Muggle Studies Professor.

They said their goodbyes, and made the rest of the trip uninterrupted.

Hermione was almost amazed at how easy-going Minerva McGonagall was once you got to know her. When she'd first met her, she'd seemed very intimidating, even to a brainiac like her. The war had hardened her, as well as her worry for those around her, and she'd never seemed very approachable until now.

Now that the war was over, and all she had to worry about was Hogwarts and everything that went along with that, she seemed much more at ease. That didn't mean that she "let her hair down", of course. She just seemed much more cheerful. _Or maybe that's just because she's cooing over an adorable 3-year old._

Samantha loved Professor McGonagall, though she couldn't pronounce her name, so she called her Miss Minnie. All the women in the room found it adorable.

Molly had unpacked the kitchen while she'd been watching Samantha, and the four of them had a "tea-party" while they caught up, and Samantha got to know their new home.

Hermione kept them talking about their news and Ginny's pregnancy to keep the questions off her and her life, and managed to stall them until it was time for Samantha's supper. She said goodbye to the women as Molly left through the fireplace and Minerva made her promise to come see her if she had any questions or concerns.

After dinner Samantha asked if they could go for a walk, and Hermione agreed so she grabbed their coats and they made their way out to the lake.

They walked by the edge of the lake for a while, and were about to head back in when they heard a dog barking and coming closer to them.

Samantha had never seen such a big dog as Fang, and she shrieked, jumping into her mother's arms. Hermione soothed her, petting Fang with her free hand as he stopped in front of them.

"What're yeh barkin' at there Fang?" she heard Hagrid call, and smiled.

"Hello, Hagrid. It's just me, Hermione," she said, and made her way over to him.

"Blimey, no one told me yeh were comin'!" He said, and moved to give her a crushing hug, but then noticed the child in her arms. "And this is young Miss Samantha?"

Hermione nodded, knowing Harry had told Hagrid about her. "Fang gave her a bit of a startle."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. He didn't mean no harm," Hagrid said.

"I know, it's okay," Hermione insisted. "Sammy, look who's here? You remember Mummy told you about your Uncle Hagrid? Have a look."

Hagrid's eyes brimmed with tears at being called "Uncle", and Samantha slowly uncovered her face to look at him.

Hermione set her down, and watched Samantha's eyes get huge.

"Wow, you're big, Uncle Haggid!"

Hermione chuckled, and they were ushered into Hagrid's hut for some tea. He offered them some rock cakes, but Hermione declined … they had just finished supper, after all.

Samantha had gotten used to Fang, and was now happily scratching his head while Hagrid told her about the first time her mummy and her friends went into the Forbidden Forest.

Hermione excused herself from the trip down memory lane, and went outside for some fresh air. She looked over at the pumpkin patch as she walked a couple feet from his hut, and smiled, remembering the night she and Harry had liberated Buckbeak and Sirius.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone else walking up to her.

"I was told we had a new staff member, but I was expecting someone actually old enough to not be confused with a student," came the thick drawl from behind her.

Hermione sighed, turning to face her old Potions professor.

"Nice to see you too, Professor Snape," Hermione greeted. She felt suddenly nervous, but couldn't explain why. "What brings you here?"

"Aside from the fact that I live here?" he wondered, crossing his arms over his chest.

She rolled her eyes, mimicking his movements.

"I meant at Hagrid's cabin," she explained slowly, patronizingly.

"The Headmistress asked me to summon Hagrid to the castle, not that I have to explain myself to you, Miss Granger," he informed her, then moved to step around her to go into Hagrid's cabin.

Hermione found herself blocking his path, then hurriedly said, "It's okay, I can tell him."

Snape eyed her suspiciously, figuring out too quickly that she didn't want him to go into the hut.

"Nonsense, if I left it to you, he'd show up some time tomorrow," Snape insisted, his voice dripping with disdain.

Hermione found herself wondering what she ever did to make the Potions Master hate her so much, for as rude as he was, he never spoke to any other students with that much animosity.

"I am fully capable of passing on a message, you can even wait out here while I do it," she offered, still unsure of why she didn't want him going in.

He set her with his penetrating gaze. "Miss Granger, is there some particular reason you do not wish for me to enter the gamekeeper's hut?"

Hermione was _saved _from answering by the door opening.

"Mummy, Uncle Haggid wants us to have tea with him tomorrow?" Samantha asked, and Hermione closed her eyes with a sigh.

She turned away from Snape, walking over to her daughter. "Sure, Sweetie. Say goodbye to Uncle Hagrid, we're gonna head back now."

Her daughter nodded, closing the door again while she went and said her goodbyes.

She took another breath before turning around to face Snape. His normally calm and collected face was covered in shock, or something like it. His eyes were wide, his eyebrows inclined, his mouth parted slightly, and if she didn't know any better, she'd say he even looked a bit paler.

Hermione waited for him to speak, but he never did, so she just waited for Samantha to come back out again.

When the door opened next, Samantha was sitting on Fang's back as he walked them out the door.

"Mummy, look at me!" Samantha giggled, holding onto Fang's collar as though her life depended on it, but clearly enjoying herself.

"Careful, Sammy," Hermione said, her maternal instincts kicking in and walking up beside her daughter. She held her hands out, and Samantha reluctantly let go of Fang's collar and allowed her mother to pick her up, then latched onto her hip.

Hermione looked at the still speechless Snape and then with a slight smirk said to Hagrid, "Minerva wants to see you up at the castle, Hagrid. Thanks for the tea, we'll see you tomorrow."

Hagrid nodded, patting Hermione on the shoulder a little to forcefully then made his way up to the castle to see the Headmistress.

Hermione closed Hagrid's forgotten door, then turned to head back to the castle.

"Mummy, who's that?" Samantha asked, and Hermione stopped with another heavy sigh.

"This is Mummy's old teacher, Professor Snape," she explained.

"Your name is Perfesser?" Samantha asked him while crinkling her nose, and Hermione chuckled, letting Samantha slide off her hip and set her down on the ground.

Snape seemed to snap out of his trance, and looked down at the small child.

"No, that is my title. My name is … Severus," he answered, wondering why he didn't just insist he call her Mister Snape.

"Hello, Severus. My name is Samantha," she told him, holding her arm out for him to shake.

Snape flicked his eyes to Hermione's, almost seeming to ask permission, and when she shrugged, he reached down and grasped the tiny hand in his calloused, much bigger one.

He held back a chuckle as she gave him her best firm shake, then let go of her hand.

"You used to teach my Mummy?" Samantha asked him.

_Mummy? She's only been out of school 4 years. How old is this girl? I didn't see a wedding ring on Granger's finger. Perhaps she is divorced or widowed. She certainly doesn't look old enough to have a daughter, though she certainly has matured since she was last here … get a grip, old man! Oh, jeeze, the small one asked you a question!_

"Yes, for some time I was one of your mother's teachers," he answered smoothly, nothing in his voice to betray his thoughts.

He regarded Hermione for a second before fixing his gaze on Samantha again. "And how old are you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his lack of subtlety. It wouldn't be very Slytherin to just come out and ask her when she got pregnant.

"I just turned 3 in June!" Samantha answered, excited at the memory of her birthday. "I had a great party! There were balloons and cake and presents and guess what? Mummy said next year I can get my own cat like she has Crooks!"

Snape fought very hard to hold back a sneer as he said, "How lovely."

_That reminds me, I should make sure Crookshanks is doing okay with Harry and Ginny. I do hope Sirius isn't terrorizing him too fiercely. _

"Well, it's been swell catching up and all, but -"

Severus cut her off, directing his next question at Samantha once again.

"So, you and your mother are living at the castle now?"

"Uh huh, I like it here! Apparently there's a huge squid in the lake, and if you're really quiet you can see it, and the stairs move, and the ceiling changes!"

"Indeed," Severus agreed. "So, I take it your father will be joining you here as well?"

Hermione was practically growling at him, but he took no notice, and she didn't want to make a scene in front of her daughter. At least, not while Snape was being "nice" to her.

"No, silly, I don't have a daddy," Samantha explained.

_Odd, but at least it's not that Weasley prat._

Hermione opened her mouth once more to end the conversation, but once again, Snape beat her to it.

"How come?" he inquired, his eyes lingering momentarily on Hermione's reddening face.

Samantha shrugged. "Mummy doesn't like to talk about it, but my Auntie Molly says it's 'cause I got such a great Mummy, I didn't need a Daddy. So I got lots of Uncles instead," she explained. With a shy smile, she added, "My favorites are my Uncle Fred and Uncle George. But don't tell the other ones!"

Snape allowed himself to smirk at that. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, Severus!" Samantha said with a toothy smile. She turned to her mother. "Mummy, can Severus walk back with us?"

Hermione immediately balked at the idea. "Oh, honey, I'm sure he has other things he has to be doing. Teacher things," she said forcefully, hinting at him to leave.

He acted as though he misunderstood her. "Nonsense. I would love to accompany you back to your rooms. Lead the way, Miss Samantha."

Of course, Samantha didn't know the way back, so Hermione led the way, all the while fuming at her nosy former professor.

They reached their rooms and Hermione was prepared to say goodbye to the man but Samantha had other ideas.

"Severus, would you come have juice with me?" the girl asked, and not even Voldemort could have been able to say no to that voice and those eyes.

"Uh … sure," Snape said, and followed them into their rooms.

Hermione closed the door behind them, resisting the urge the bang her head against the wall.

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_Okay, end of chapter 1. _

_What do you think so far? _

_I know, a lot of stuff is different (ie, all of my favorite characters are suddenly not dead with little explanation). But, that's why it's called AU. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but nice reviews are loved so much more. Constructive criticism is always welcome. _

_I'm not sure how long this will be, depending on how much feedback I get will probably determine that. _

_Until next time …!_


	2. Chapter 2

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_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Two. _

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_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1 _

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_A/N: I'm enjoying this fic so much! I love this pairing! _

_Wow … my first chapter got 18 hits in the first 5 minutes after I posted. And wow! Thanks for all the reviews so far, guys! You rock! Definitely makes me wanna get this updated soon! _

_Anywhoo … not much to tell about this chapter. Just sit back and relax, and let my fingers do the typing! _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

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Having Severus Snape in her kitchen drinking juice with her 3-year old daughter was very strange.

Listening to her daughter talk non-stop wasn't new to her, and she could almost pretend the surly Potions Master wasn't there, but every so often he would reply to a question, ask one of his own, or just agree with her daughter in some way.

He asked only semi-personal questions, and directed them all at Samantha, as though he knew Hermione would either not answer, or ask him to leave.

He was clearly having too much fun at her expense.

While the unlikely pair chatted away, Hermione thought back to her behavior at Hagrid's hut. She hadn't wanted him to know she had a daughter, she'd figured that much out already, but she couldn't figure out why. It's wasn't like she was embarrassed by Samantha … on the contrary she was very proud to be her mother. But the idea of Snape knowing she had a 3-year old child … it made her act strange. It made her feel strange.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as Samantha stood up from the table and started dragging Snape out of his chair to show him her room.

"Samantha, manners," Hermione reminded, and the girl stopped pulling.

"Sorry, Severus," the girl said sheepishly, and then continued walking to her room.

Hermione stood from the table and joined them as her daughter showed him her favorite toys and he examined her room carefully.

"I see you like green," he noted smugly, and Hermione mentally smacked herself for never noticing its significance before.

"Trust me, she's not a Slytherin," Hermione insisted, speaking to him directly for the first time in almost an hour.

"Well … maybe she doesn't get it from you," he implied, and Hermione had to look away to not glare daggers at him, blinking away her twitching eye.

She knew that Snape had caught her reaction, and he was curious. The fact that he couldn't be bothered to mind his own business was quickly driving her up the wall.

Severus took in the rest of the room, including the pictures of Samantha with her mother when she was a baby, one for each year, it appeared, a large picture of Samantha with her "two favorite Uncles", a small tapestry that read: _**Samantha Ginevra Molly Granger is 3 years old today!**_ and a large stuffed lion in the corner.

He smirked at her mother's obvious attempts to sway her towards Gryffindor. _Not that I would have done any different with a serpent. _

Samantha tried to stifle a yawn, but Hermione and Snape both caught it, and Hermione said it was time for bed.

Snape finally made to leave, but Samantha made him promise to say goodnight before he left, so he waited for her to get changed into her pajamas.

Hermione busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen, avoiding both an awkward silence and an interrogation from Snape.

Finally Samantha walked out of her room clad in her pink unicorn pajamas. Hermione took her to bathroom, and tried to imagine what was going through Snape's mind while listening to Samantha sing "It's a Small World After All" while brushing her teeth.

Finally she was ready for bed, and she hurried over to give Snape a goodnight hug.

He crouched down, patting her back awkwardly while she hugged him and then gave him a kiss on the nose.

Hermione bit her lip and fought the urge to laugh at the shocked look on his face, and put Samantha to bed.

"I like him, Mummy," Samantha told her as she tucked her in.

"Hmm," Hermione replied, not sure how to answer that.

"I hope he comes to see us again soon," she added, rolling over to go to sleep.

Hermione sighed, kissing her forehead before turning off the light and closing the door.

She moved to the dishes in the sink, turning on the water and adding soap. "Well, you made quite an impression on her," she said after a moment.

"Indeed," Snape replied, closer behind her than she'd expected, but she remained where she was. "You are aware that a simple cleaning charm will take care of those?"

Hermione shrugged. "I like doing things by hand."

"I see. And those pictures in her room … those were muggle pictures, yes? Unmoving?" he wondered.

"So?" Hermione asked, scrubbing the teacups harder.

"Just making conversation," he said idly.

"Why?" Hermione asked him. "Since when do _we_ make conversation?"

Snape stepped up beside her, rolling up his sleeves. She suddenly realized that he'd been wearing muggle clothing under his robes, which he'd hung up when they had gotten back. She tried not to stare at his arms, and ignored the voice in her head telling her she'd never seen this much of his skin.

"Since we are now colleagues, I thought it prudent to at least make an attempt to socialize," Snape explained simply, grabbing a towel off the counter and drying the dishes she'd finished with.

She gave him a scrutinizing look, trying to read him. "I wasn't under the impression that you socialized with any of the other professors. In fact, if memory serves, you went out of your way to avoid situations such as these."

He inclined his eyebrow, tempted to ask her when she started paying so much attention to his actions, but he left it. For now.

"That was before Voldemort was defeated for good. At that time I couldn't afford to "bond" with my colleagues. Working relationships are as much of a weakness as personal relationships. I simply find myself suddenly … free to chat," he told her.

Hermione couldn't remember ever hearing him use the word "chat". Yet another thing about him that struck her as strange.

"Alright then," Hermione said, passing him the last cup to dry off. "You can help me set up my living room."

"This will be done by hand, I presume?" Snape wondered.

Hermione nodded, taking the towel from him to dry her hands off. "We can get to know each other a little better while setting up my furniture."

Snape nodded, and then followed her into another section of her rooms where she had reformed her luggage, and it was now sitting in a pile on the floor.

"Well, let's get to it, then!" Hermione said with obvious fake enthusiasm, but Snape didn't take the bait, so they set to work separating the furniture.

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For the most part their conversation was civilized. She asked about Hogwarts, his classes, if he had any new "insufferable know-it-alls" in his Potions classes; he insisted there were none, that as usual none of is his students showed the least bit of competence. It was only a few minutes later that Hermione discovered the hidden compliment in his words. Hermione told him about Harry and Ginny's wedding, and their pregnancy, and he did a very good job of hiding his distaste for the subject, but she didn't get the desired reaction out of him.

Hermione was waiting for him to ask her what he really wanted to, so she could kick him out and be done with it, but he didn't. For the most part they steered clear of even mentioning Samantha's name.

Once he asked her what she did after graduation, and she fixed him with a hard look and said, "Had a baby. You?"

That pretty much ended that conversation.

In a way, she sort of admired his patience. He didn't seem to be a man who cared about being tactful, and yet as curious as he was, he didn't push her to tell him.

She told him as little about the last 4 years as she could, mostly vague details. Places they lived, jobs she did.

From what he could tell she had little to no contact with her parents, though they were still alive. She never married, or talked about Samantha's father at all. She didn't seem to resent the child for halting her career and potential, which he found surprising, considering the time and effort she had always put into her school work, as well as her dedication to the magical community during the war. The child had been brought up in both the magical and muggle worlds, but Granger seemed to lean more towards muggle methods. He had a feeling that if it hadn't been for the Weasleys, both girls' lives would have been very different after Hermione got pregnant.

He tried to narrow down who the father could have been. He had immediately assumed it was the Weasley boy's, but she had no red hair, and the freckles could be just reaction to the sun. He then suspected Harry Potter as being the next candidate, but she didn't have his eyes, and she didn't talk about the now-Potter girl with any jealousy or guilt, so he crossed him off his list as well. He knew she'd had a romance with the Durmstrang Quidditch player, Krum something, but the man was at least 3 years older than her, and she had seemed more sensible than that. _Then again, she did get pregnant at 18 … perhaps Krum is the father, and he left her when he discovered the pregnancy, and that's why she refuses to speak of him … it's a possibility. I shall have to do some research into the man. _

"Where is this book shelf going?" he wondered aloud, finally finished with the last screw. He was happy that being a Potions Master meant using his hands a lot, otherwise he would be terribly cramped.

"That one goes in my bedroom," she told him, standing up from the coffee table she was working on. "Here, help me finish this, then we'll put that in my room and take a break."

She stretched out her sore muscles as he leaned the bookshelf against the wall, then she moved to the other side of the table and attached the other two legs while he tightened the ones she'd already done, and then she picked out a spot in her room for the bookshelf while he tightened the rest.

She came back out of her bedroom as he was turning the coffee table over, and she had to remind herself to look away from his bent-over backside. _For Merlin's sake, Hermione, he was your professor! _

"Ready?" he asked her.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and they each took an end and carried it into her bedroom, setting it down on the far wall, facing the side of her bed.

"Perfect," Hermione stated, wiping the sheen of sweat off her brow.

Snape grunted his approval, rolling his shoulders back and cracking his stiff joints.

Hermione was suddenly feeling overheated, so she thought she'd change into something lighter.

"There's some sodas in the fridge, or if you want some wine in the cupboard … I don't really keep anything stronger in the house, 'cause of Samantha," Hermione explained. "Make yourself at home, I'm just gonna change into something more comfortable."

Snape nodded, taking his cue to leave the room, and she closed the door, resisting the desire to fan herself off as she quickly undressed.

Snape wondered briefly if he should get Granger drunk … then maybe she'd just fess up about who she made the mistake of sleeping with and his interest in the matter would dissolve. Because that's all this was … curiosity. Boredom. Now that the war was over and he was no longer a double-agent, he found himself with an abundance of time on his hands, and not even sinking himself into his potions could pass all the time. Alcohol helped.

Then he remembered her sleeping daughter in the next room, and knew there was a reason she didn't keep strong alcohol in the house … she didn't want to get drunk. She didn't want to lose control around her daughter. That was something he could relate to. Not the daughter part, just wanting to remain in control.

So, he pulled two sodas out of the refrigerator and waited.

… _Are her rooms bigger than mine? _

He sat down at the table, opening his drink and taking a refreshing sip, stretching out his legs.

The sound of her bedroom door opening caught his wandering attention, and he looked up in time to see her pull her hair up off her neck and tie it up in a simple bun.

His eyes wandered down her bare neck and met her nearly naked shoulders, and he had to work hard to keep his jaw from dropping as he took in the rest of her. She had discarded her sweater, jeans, socks, and boots, and changed into a not-nearly-long-enough tank top and can-that-even-be-called-clothing shorts.

His gaze dropped all the way down to her bare feet, which were ridiculously (he shuddered at the word) cute, and snapped out of his daze when he heard her talking.

" … hits the spot, right there," she said dramatically, gulping down her cold soda and bringing the can up to her forehead.

_She definitely does not look like the mother of a 3-year old child … looks more like … no, don't even go there. _

He forced his eyes to look away from the strap of her bra peeking out from under her tank top, and swallowed more bubbling liquid.

_How is it possible she's not married … or at least living with someone. All these "Uncles" the girl spoke of, are obviously her male friends, the Weasleys and undoubtedly her muggle friends. Her peers must be blind … _

"Snape?" she asked him, making him jolt.

"What?"

"I just suggested we move on to unpacking, I think our muscles could use the break … unless you're ready to call it a night?"

It sounded only slightly like a challenge.

"No, I've found my second wind," Snape assured her. "Just drifted off in my thoughts for a moment there."

Hermione nodded, finishing her drink. "I try not to do that. My mind tends to wander, and there are certain things that I wouldn't …"

She stopped, seeming to realize a little late who she was talking to.

"Anyway … uh, let's get back to work," she said, tossing her empty can in her recycling bin.

Snape started at the strange box for a few moments before shrugging and chugging back the rest of his drink, and repeating her actions with the can.

He came back into the living room just as she was stretching out, and he found himself captivated, watching as she leaned one way, and her muscles tightened beneath her soft skin, then repeated the same motion in reverse. He nearly lost it when she bent to stretch her back and legs, and he cleared his throat, announcing his presence in the room.

She stood back up immediately, embarrassed that he caught her in such an awkward position, but pushed past it and handed him a small knife.

"To open the boxes," she explained. "Unless you've got particularly long nails …?"

He rolled his eyes. "The knife will suffice."

Hermione nodded and set to work on her pile of boxes.

They had pushed the couch back against the wall, so they could sit while they worked.

Hermione sorted the board games under the coffee table while Snape organized the children's books on the smaller bookshelf set against the opposite wall.

Hermione looked up as he was taking the lid off of a new box and lurched forward. "No!"

He remained stock-still, bent over the box, staring at her. "Is there a problem?" He asked smoothly, though his eyes betrayed his calm voice.

"Sorry," she said, standing up and taking the box from his fingers. "This is just … it goes in my room."

She walked away without another word, the box secured in her arms.

Snape's mind raced, wondering what could possibly be inside the box. It hadn't felt too heavy, but it had been full. It was obviously personal, maybe embarrassing … or revealing. One thing he noticed about the young woman, who would now be his co-worker, was that she was very private about certain things.

_Perhaps whatever's inside the box has something to do with the missing father-figure … or perhaps that's just my mind jumping to conclusions to fulfill my own curiosity. Either way … I definitely want to know what's in that box. _

Hermione came back into the room, clearly flustered but ignoring his pointed glances.

"Everything alright?" he asked half-heartedly.

"Yeah, of course," she answered distractedly, and pulled out a box of photos. Most of them were "muggle" photos, but a few stood out, as they were the only ones moving. One was of Granger and her two friends, Potter and Weasley, another was of Granger with the entire Weasley family – she looked to be about 7 months pregnant – and the last was of the Order of the Phoenix, along with the students that remained to fight at the final Battle of Hogwarts … those that lived, anyway. The witches and wizards in the photo had various wounds and injuries, some could barely stand, but they all had looks of sheer victory on their faces.

"We lost so many that day," Hermione said, pulling him from his thoughts. "Percy Weasley, Colin Creevey, Horace Slughorn, Cho Chang, Seamus, Hannah … so many of them just slaughtered. And we're standing here, getting our picture taken, like we should be celebrating …"

He sat next to her on the couch, wondering if he should be patting her shoulder or rubbing her back or something.

"I think if we hadn't been celebrating, we would have been lost. We did win a tremendous victory that day, and we needed to remember that. The families that lost loved ones needed to know they didn't for nothing," Snape said in a tone she'd never heard before. Not even when he'd been recovering from his near-death experience and he'd been zonked on painkillers.

She turned her head sideways, surprised that he could be so sentimental.

"So … what's in the box?" he asked, shattering the moment.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

_Okay, end of chapter two. _

_Again … thanks for all the reviews so far guys, I hope you still like the story!_

_For everyone who loves "Samantha" as much as I do, don't worry, she'll have more scenes in the next chapter, I just wanted to end with a Snape/Hermione moment in this chapter, and it would have seemed to rushed to have Samantha in it too. _

_Feedback is loved … any way, shape or form!_

_Until next time …! _


	3. Chapter 3

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Three _

…

_Disclaimer: See Ch 1. _

…

_A/N: Wow, you guys rock! Thanks for all the reviews so far! _

_So … yeah, subtle's not really my thing, for those of you who have sent me private messages and guessed the "situation" … hopefully some things are still unclear though. _

_Before I forget, I just want to make a small note: I won't be having Hermione call Snape Sev. Maybe Severus down the line, but not Sev. I just can't see him as a "Sev". At least not in my stories. _

_Also, I know Snape is a little OOC so far, but don't worry, it's all part of his master plan. After all, he was trying to manipulate an answer out of Hermione or Samantha about who got her pregnant, that was just part of his method … or was it? Mua ha ha! (Sorry, I'm in a weird mood. Too much sugar … or maybe not enough!) _

_Anyway, that's all for now, I hope you continue to enjoy the story! My fingers are being overworked, but they love it! You guys make me want to keep updating faster and faster!!! (Seriously, enough with the sugar.) _

_Okay … enjoy!_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

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"So, what's in the box?" Snape asked, destroying the mood.

_Not that there was a mood to destroy …_

Hermione rolled her eyes, turning her head back away from the older man. "It doesn't matter."

"I disagree," Snape added, standing up.

"I really don't care what you agree or disagree with, _Professor._ It's my business, and I said it doesn't matter. So, we can stand here arguing, we can get back to work, or you can say goodnight," Hermione stated, hands on her hips.

"Forgive me if I don't take you seriously in your pink short-shorts," Snape said, holding back a snort, but mentally preparing himself to get slapped.

"Well, at least I'm comfortable," Hermione replied, not taking the bait. "You've gotta be overheating like crazy."

Snape wondered how 'just like that', she had forgotten that he had been prying into her life.

_Hmm … could it be that parenthood has actually matured her? Aside from the obvious ways, of course … oh, stop it, you dirty old man! You're not here to ogle, you're here to satisfy your own nagging curiosity. _

They went back to work for another hour or so before they decided to call it a night. Hermione thanked him awkwardly for his help and being nice to Samantha, and didn't notice that he conveniently left his robes behind when he left, as she had grown used to seeing him in his muggle clothes.

She went into her bedroom, pulling out her bed coverings while musing over the evening spent with a man she used to despise. He had obviously only been there for one thing, but she had held her ground, and kept him from finding out about her past. But, she was sure he hadn't given up … he was just pacing himself.

_This is what happens when grown men get bored. No … this is what happens when spies no longer have anything to spy on. _

With her bed made, she slid the box out from underneath it, spilling its contents out in front of her. She sorted the items into separate piles; pictures, documents, unread letters, and clothing, letting her silent tears drop on each one. She hadn't opened this box in months, but all the memories came rushing back. Her mind wandered to the sleeping girl in the next room, and she wiped away her tears, putting everything back inside the box and returning it to its place under her bed.

She used to have a mantra: "One day at a time". But she hadn't needed that in a long time. Now all she needed to get to sleep was to think about one cute thing her daughter had done that day, and fell into a peaceful slumber.

It didn't occur to her to wonder why her last thoughts were of her daughter kissing Snape on the nose, and his priceless expression afterwards.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next day Hermione took Samantha on a tour of the Hogwarts castle. They visited the Great Hall for breakfast and ate with the rest of the staff, and Samantha introduced herself happily to everyone. Professor Trelawney tried to read her palm, but Hermione snatched her away before she could make any false predictions of her death, and therefore traumatize her daughter. Hermione introduced Samantha to Dobby, and the laughing girl fell in love with the funnily-dressed creature.

Their next stop was the library, and Madam Pince was not impressed when Samantha started running down the aisles between bookshelves, so Hermione quickly ushered them out of there.

They found Remus Lupin in his classroom, and Samantha gave her Uncle a big hug, chatting his ear off about all the fun they were having and the new friends she made.

Hermione asked him how it felt to be back teaching, and Samantha asked when she could see her cousin Teddy again, she missed him. Lupin promised to bring Teddy and Tonks over for supper some time that week, and after a quick goodbye, they continued their exploration of the castle.

They reached the Gryffindor common room, the Portrait of the Fat Lady, and Hermione paused, unsure if she would be allowed inside, but then the Portrait swung open, and she heard the Fat Lady say that Hogwarts Professors had access to all the common rooms. Hermione smiled her thanks and showed Samantha inside, smiling when she saw it hadn't changed one bit. A fire was lit in the fireplace as they walked in, and for a while, Hermione sat on the couch with Samantha on her lap, telling her about all the fun times she had with her Uncles Ron and Harry, and all the trouble they'd gotten into.

They sat in silence for a while, and Hermione thought her daughter was drifting off to sleep when she suddenly asked her a question.

"Mummy, why don't I have a Daddy?"

Hermione's heart sped up, and she sighed heavily. It was times like these she wished her daughter wasn't as smart as she was. She was hoping for a few more years before she had to answer this question.

"Do you want a Daddy?" Hermione asked, stalling.

"Sometimes," Samantha answered. "Did I ever have a Daddy?"

Hermione forced herself to ignore her hammering heart. It was annoyingly persistent.

"You had a father once … I suppose, but a Daddy is someone who loves you very much, and never does anything to hurt you, and wants to be with you all the time."

Hermione paused, wanting to shift the conversation. "Your Uncle Ron wanted to be your Daddy."

"He did?" Samantha asked, surprised.

"Yeah, he did. He asked Mummy to marry him when you were still in my tummy," Hermione told her, and she thought she heard a growl from behind her, but there was no one there, so she shrugged and told herself to calm down.

"What did you say?" her daughter asked, sitting up on her knees to look at her mother better.

"I told him I didn't love him like that. He was always like my brother … that's why he's your Uncle." She looked over at Samantha, trying to read her confused expression. "Did you want Uncle Ron to be your Daddy?"

Samantha thought for a moment, then shook her head.

Hermione smiled. "Good … me neither."

Samantha bounced on the couch for a while, then looked back at her mother. "Did you love my Daddy?"

Hermione was quiet for a long time, but never took her eyes off her daughter. When Samantha opened her mouth to ask her if she was okay, Hermione said, "I love that he brought me to you."

"Okay," Samantha said, hopping off the couch. "Can you show me your old room, Mummy?"

Hermione nodded, leading her up the stairs.

Neither of them noticed the Portrait opening and closing again, seemingly of its own accord.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape wandered around the school aimlessly, mulling over what he'd heard. _Well … overheard._

"The ass left sometime during her pregnancy, and she by no means cared a great deal about him … well, obviously she cared enough to shag him," Snape spoke aloud, trying to make some connection. He had looked into her files in McGonagall's office, but hadn't found anything of value.

"Talking to yourself, Severus?" Minerva asked, walking up behind him.

He felt suddenly warm under his collar. _So I'm a little out of practice. Surely I can fool one witch. _"Merely thinking out loud. Preparing for the new school year," he insisted. "Was there something you needed?"

"No, just wandering around, much like you. Incidentally, you wouldn't happen to have seen Hermione? Hagrid's expecting her."

Snape gave a light shrug. "I might have seen her heading towards the Gryffindor common room … perhaps she is there somewhere."

Minerva nodded, an eerily familiar twinkling in her eyes. "Thank you Severus, I might have been searching for hours."

"I'm sure you would have been fine, now if you'll excuse me, I have more thinking to do," Snape replied, wishing he had his robes to whip around ominously, then suddenly remembered the perfect excuse to re-enter Granger's rooms.

He waited until he was sure that she had taken her child to have tea with Hagrid, then made his way to her rooms.

He wondered for a moment if she would have put wards up, but when he turned the door handle, it gave way with no complaint.

_Much too trusting of your colleagues, Miss Granger._

It didn't occur to him to think he was 'much to nosy', he just went about his business, searching through the pictures she'd unpacked for any traces of another man. There were many muggle photos framed about the room, and on the bookshelf he found a photo album, and sat by the coffee table, flipping through it. There were some pictures of her as a baby through to a toddler, and he was struck with the thought that Samantha was definitely her daughter. Aside from the freckles and the teeth, she was the spitting image of her mother at that age. He found more pictures of her and her friends growing up, some of her with her parents when she was very young. He flipped ahead to pictures of Hogwarts, somewhat relieved to finally see some wizard photos. He found what he thought he was looking for, a picture of Hermione with the Durmstrang fool … Viktor Krum, that was his name, but at the bottom of the picture was an inscription: _Viktor and Hermione, Yule Ball, 4__th__ Year. _

Snape sighed, flipping ahead further, but found only one more picture of him at the Weasley-Delacour wedding, and the picture wasn't romantic, in fact it held Potter and the rest of the Weasley children as well.

He flipped through to the end of the book, but it only held more muggle pictures of the Weasleys, Hermione and Samantha, so he closed the book and placed it back on the bookshelf with a grunt of annoyance.

He was pacing around for a while when he remembered the box.

He moved into Hermione's room, eyes flicking everywhere in search of the box. He turned to her closet, but it held only hanging clothes. Next he checked the trunk at the foot of her bed, but it held only blankets. He was momentarily stumped, and then nearly smacked himself as he checked under the bed.

_Aha! Gotcha!_

He pulled the box out, setting it down on the bed. His fingers gripped the sides of the lid, pulling up to slide it off, but then he stopped.

_Are you actually ready to find out? Do you really want to know? _

He paused, his fingers pulsing.

He put the lid back in place, pulling his hands back and crossing his arms over his chest.

_Come on, now. It's not that difficult. You wanted to know … it's been driving you insane, and it's not even been 24 hours! You're a Slytherin! This is what you do, dammit! _

He reached for the box again, but found himself drawing back once more.

_Oh, this is just ridiculous! Just open the damn thing!_

He was reaching for the box once more when he heard the click of the front door opening, and voices in the kitchen.

_Shit! Oh, well done, Severus! _

He silently slid the box back under the bed, and cast a disillusionment charm on himself, pressing back against the wall by the bookshelf he and Hermione had brought in last night.

Hermione checked her watch once more, fanning her shirt away from herself. She had spilt tea all down her front when she realized how late it was, and was waiting for Ginny to arrive so she could change. Samantha had a play-date with Harry and Ginny soon, and they would be "ringing" her fireplace any minute now.

She gathered Samantha's lunch together and put it in her backpack along with her toys and coloring pages, and was finished just in time.

"Auntie Ginny's here!" Samantha cried happily as the witch stepped out of the fireplace.

"How's my favorite niece?" Ginny asked, giving the girl a hug.

"She's good," Samantha replied. "Do you like our new house?"

"Yes, it's lovely," Ginny said, taking in her surroundings.

"Can I get you something to drink before you leave?" Hermione asked her friend.

Ginny shook her head. "Sorry, gotta grab and go. Bring her back same time tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Hermione said. She looked down at her daughter, fixing her coat around her shoulders. "Have fun with Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry. Be on your best behavior."

"I will Mummy. Maybe I can have juice with Severus again when I get back?"

Ginny's head whipped around to Hermione at this, as she had previously been fishing Floo Powder out of her pouch.

"_Severus? _As in Snape? What's this?" Ginny asked her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Long story."

"Hmm … sounds like an interesting story," her friend prodded, and Hermione sighed.

"Another time, Gin."

Her friend nodded, but fixed her with a suspicious gaze, and Hermione said one last goodbye to her daughter before the two left through the fireplace.

Hermione stood staring at the fireplace for a few moments before she went into her bedroom to change her shirt. Out of habit, she closed the door behind her, slipping her shirt off and tossing it in her laundry hamper.

She thought she heard something behind her, but she turned around and saw nothing, so she slipped on a new shirt and pulled a book off her bookshelf, settling down on her bed to read.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_End chapter three. _

_Okay, I know this one is shorter than the other two, but I was getting distracted by Stargate: Atlantis, so I wanted to get it done and updated, and I liked the ending, so … tada! _

_I hope you're still liking this fic … I was trying to make Snape nosy without people ending up hating him … don't know if I really succeeded there so I'll try to make up for it in later chapters. Hmm … maybe I'll have a Snape/Ron fight. Hmmm … _

_Okie dokie, there's chapter three, _

_Feedback is appreciated, constructive criticism is always welcome. _

_Until next time …! _


	4. Chapter 4

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

…

_Disclaimer: Still don't own it. _

…

_A/N: At long last, an update. Long-story-short: technology hates me, and I have to rewrite everything I had written, and hope that the computer doesn't crap out before I can upload it. _

_So, here's chapter 4. To recap, Severus is dying to know what Hermione's hiding, but before he could convince himself to open "the box", Hermione and Samantha came back to her rooms, and he was trapped inside the bedroom. _

_I hope you haven't lost patience with this story, or with me. I hope to be updating a lot more now that I'm not bouncing back and forth between computers and have stable internet connection. _

_So, with no more babbling, here we go. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape moved swiftly down the hallway, making his way to his chambers without looking back.

_I thought I'd never get out of there,_ he told himself. _Nearly had a damn heart attack when she took her shirt off … … oh, seriously, Severus! You're more than old enough to be her father!_

He locked himself safely in his rooms, retreating to his personal library to collect his thoughts. _If she hadn't left the door open when she went to the bathroom, I'd still be stuck in there. _

He glanced at his clock, and noted it was nearly time for dinner. Following her around all day had been tiring, and he couldn't have risked eating while he was invisible, nor could he go elsewhere incase he lost sight of the two of them.

His stomach groaned at him to get a move on, so he threw on one of his many dark robes and made his way to the Great Hall.

He much preferred Hogwarts during the summer holidays. No annoying children, no messes to be cleaned up, it was nice and quiet.

So he was much annoyed to walk into the Great Hall to find it occupied with not only teachers but most of the ghosts and a few house elves as well.

The teachers' table was empty, and everyone seemed to be occupying an area in the middle of the room where the students usually ate. Chattering about as though they'd regressed many years, the squabbling and laughter was annoying, and he found himself wishing he'd sent for a house elf to bring him his dinner in his rooms.

"Ah, Severus, there you are! Come join the party!" Minerva called out, and he cringed into his scowl.

"Perhaps another time, Minerva. I seem to have lost my appetite."

He turned to leave, but this time it was Granger's voice that stopped him. "Oh, _Professor_, you seem to have left something in my rooms. You must have forgotten to grab it on your way out earlier," she told him, standing to hand him his robes.

"Earlier? You must mean yesterday," he supplied, and she responded with a cool smirk.

"Right. Of course. Silly me," she responded. "Here I thought you were in my rooms today. Must have been my imagination. In any case, there you go. Now there shouldn't be any need for you to return, correct?"

_She is enjoying this far too much. And here I thought I was being stealthy. You're losing your touch, old man. _

"Indeed," he replied coolly.

"Very good," she said with an almost evil smile. "Won't you please join us, we were just reminiscing. I'm sure you have many stories to tell. I know, we could talk about the time when you used Harry's invisibility cloak to spy on us in the shrieking shack!"

Glaring, he used legilimency on her. "_You've made your point._"

She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, and thinking back, "_So, you're the only one allowed to stick his nose in other people's business? That's hardly fair. I'm sure Minerva wouldn't condone you sneaking into my rooms, hiding in my bedroom while I changed. Perhaps I'll just ask her._"

"_You play dirty, Miss Granger,_" he informed her, then walked around her, taking a seat.

Hermione smiled as she resumed her seat, missing the amused grin on Minerva's face.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

With Samantha being taken care of by Harry and Ginny, Hermione had time to set up the rest of their new home. Samantha's room had been the easiest to finish, as they'd done most of it before walking the ground the other day.

As she filled the spaces on her bookshelves, she let herself get lost in her thoughts. "I should have gone off on him when I caught him in here," Hermione told herself, thinking aloud. "Not that it would have helped anything, but the little bastard shouldn't have been in here in the first place."

She wasn't one for cussing, normally, but it was something that she missed after having Samantha. She found herself having to watch everything that she said, for her little girl was very perceptive and repeated everything when she started speaking.

Hermione sighed, setting down the books in her hands and moving to the other side of the bed, pulling out the box from underneath. Checking her watch, she knew he wouldn't be asleep yet.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she made her way to Snape's rooms, the box gripped solidly in front of her.

She rapped on the door several times, then waited.

After a minute, the door opened slowly to reveal a weary but annoyed-looking Severus Snape.

"What is it now, Miss –"

He spotted the box in her hands, and stopped.

"You're so desperate to find out what I'm hiding, here you go. Enjoy," she told him, shoving the box into his hands and turning on her heel, walking quickly but not running as she went back to her rooms.

She finally got back to her rooms, and after closing the door with more force than necessary, she crumpled to the ground, shaking.

"Well … that was stupid," she told herself, the back of her head hitting the door.

She wiped away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and stood on shaky legs. With a heavy sigh, she moved back into her rooms, intent on getting back to work and forgetting it had ever happened.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

It was after midnight when she heard the smallest of taps on her front door, and Hermione didn't have to look to know who it would be. Steeling herself, she opened the door.

Snape stood uncertainly with the box held out in front of him.

She waited for him to speak or just return the box, but he remained still. After a minute, she opened the door wider, and he walked in, setting the box down on the table.

Turning back towards her he said, "I didn't know … I apologize for the intrusion."

"I'm sure I'll get over it," she replied sarcastically, arms folded protectively over her stomach. It was a reflex she'd first discovered while she was pregnant, and hadn't been able to drop it.

"I assure you, had I been there, I wouldn't have hesitated to –"

"You can leave now," Hermione told him, blinking her eyes several times. It was not a conversation she wanted to have with him, and if she did, it wouldn't be in her kitchen while she was in her pink, fuzzy slippers.

Snape nodded, pursing his lips. "Again … I apologize."

Hermione nodded, opening the door for him.

He left quietly, allowing the sadness to show in his eyes as he walked by her.

She grabbed the box off the table, returning it to its spot under the bed, shutting off the lights as she moved into another room to set up her well-worn punching bag.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Severus Snape rarely felt lousy about anything. Not since Lily … But he'd really stepped in it this time.

He paced around his chambers, wondering best how to deal with the situation. Never had it crossed his mind that she'd been … raped.

The very thought of it sickened him, and he felt a powerful desire to hit something. He thought he'd be pleased once he finally discovered the truth, at the very least satisfied with the knowledge of discovering someone else's secret, but nothing about it satisfied him. He drew no comfort from the knowledge that now everything made sense; her actions, her chosen lifestyle. Two wizards had beaten and raped her, and even worse, they'd gotten away with it.

He found himself growling at the thought, and continued his pacing. He wondered if Samantha knew, but quickly dismissed the thought. Of course she didn't know. But the Weasleys must have known. It explained why she'd grown as close to them as she did, but it didn't explain why her parents seemed to have no part in her life, or their granddaughter's life.

_Stop it, you've done enough damage! Your relentless curiosity leads you nowhere good, old man! … It's not as though it would hurt to pay a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, though … _

Snape made up his mind, deciding to leave for Muggle London tomorrow. He needed to put some space between he and Granger, and he couldn't exactly unlearn what he knew. _Well … I could, but … oh, forget it. _

Momentarily sated with his decision, he allowed himself to stop pacing, change into his night wear and retired for the evening, his mind spinning with both confusion and an odd feeling of anger, something he hadn't felt in some time.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was all too easy to locate the Granger's residence, but seeing as he would be entering a muggle community, he had to take the long way. He ended up paying for a cab, refusing to give the incompetent "driver" a tip even though the man eyed him for several moments after he paid him.

He found himself at a modest two-story home, complete with a white-picket fence and garden gnomes smiling obnoxiously at him. He bit back the urge to vomit.

Clearing his throat, he rapped sharply on the door then waited. After a few moments a woman came to the door, opening it while brushing flour off her apron.

"Hello. May I help you?" she asked him distractedly.

"Possibly. Are you Mrs. Granger?" he wondered.

She nodded. "Yes. And you are?"

He studied her form before answering, "Severus Snape. I'm a professor at –"

She cut him off. "Hogwarts. I know."

Snape nodded. "I see. So then you must have heard about me from your daughter?"

She responded with cold eyes before nodding.

"May I come in?" he asked her.

"I'm afraid I don't understand why you're here, Mr. Snape. Hermione no longer lives here, nor is she a student, so you really have no business being here. If you don't mind, I was in the middle of something." She attempted to close the door, but he extended his leg, stopping it.

"I take it you are unaware that your daughter has recently secured employment at Hogwarts, as a teacher no less?"

A look of surprise molded with pride crossed the older woman's face, but it was quickly erased. "I don't see why it's any concern of mine. Now, if you'll excuse me …?"

"I'm afraid I won't," Snape replied, growing ever more annoyed. "You see, not only has Miss Granger come back to Hogwarts, but she has brought with her a little girl. Perhaps you've met her? It would appear she is your granddaughter."

Mrs. Granger clenched her jaw and put her hands on her hips. "Now just a minute. What is it that you think you're doing? Did Hermione put you up to this? We haven't spoken in damn near 4 years, why do you need to dredge up the past? Hermione knows how we feel about the choice she made. What's done is done. Now if you don't mind, _Professor_, I am going to ask you to leave. Goodbye!"

He stepped back this time when she closed the door, and pondered what she'd said. He found himself resisting the urge to pound on the wench's door and then apparate away.

_It would seem that Miss Granger's parents didn't want her to go through with her pregnancy, and instead of aborting the child, she moved in with the Weasleys. What a colorful family. Almost puts mine to shame … almost. _

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was evening, so the ceiling in the Great Hall told her, and Hermione hadn't seen Snape all day. She'd been sure that he would have composed himself enough to sneer at her misfortune, but he'd been absent for both meals now, and this was unsettling her stomach.

Samantha had more food on her face than in her mouth, as she was constantly looking up to watch the ghosts performing for her, then giggling and spewing her food about.

Hermione was too distracted to tell her to mind her table manners.

Minerva could see there was something upsetting Hermione, and had also noted Severus's absence. Putting two and two together, she assumed something must have happened between the two, and considering their "standoff" the other day regarding his robes, it must have been something note-worthy.

Deciding to consult Albus's portrait about it later, she tucked it away into the back of her mind and enjoyed the show the ghosts were putting on for Samantha's benefit.

Halfway through supper, Snape strode into the Great Hall, removing his traveling cloak as he sat as close to the door as possible.

"Severus! Hi!" Samantha called out, her attention swapping rapidly from the ghosts to him.

After a second, he gave the child a stiff wave and an incline of his head. Samantha smiled back, slurping noodles into her mouth before once again becoming enchanted by the magic Hogwarts had to offer.

Hermione eyed Snape suspiciously while she ate, wondering what he was up to. He wouldn't be him if he just let the matter go. She certainly wasn't expecting a knight in shining armor to defend her honor … no, she expected he would use the knowledge to torment her in some way. _But how? What's he going to do? … I kind of hate him. _

"Samantha, close your mouth when you chew."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Okay, end of chapter 4. _

_Short, and not my best work, I know. I liked the first one I wrote better, but I can never remember everything I had written before. I hope the next chapter will be better, and without as long of a wait. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if it makes you feel better, but constructive criticism is much more productive. _

_Until next time …! _


	5. Chapter 5

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter 5. _

…

_A/N: Still don't own Harry Potter. _

…

_Disclaimer: Here's chapter 5. Thanks for the great reviews on the last chapter, you guys rock! _

_Keeping with the timeline, the end of last chapter was August 23__rd__. _

_I absolutely love this pairing. If I was confined to only one pairing to write about for the rest of my life … this would be it. _

_Not much to say here, so on with the story!_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

………………………………………………………………………………………………

With eleven days until the first day of school, Hermione had a lot of preparation to do. She set up her classroom, acquired her textbooks, read through the course guide and requirements, and worked out her course schedule.

Samantha spent her days wandering the school grounds with Hagrid or Dobby, playing in her room with Molly and Ginny, working on her reading and alphabet, or trying to find Severus whenever she could.

It was now Saturday, two days before the start of school, and Hermione was exhausted but ready. She had made big plans for the day, wanting to take Samantha outside of Hogwarts for the day, back into the muggle world she'd grown up in.

"After the zoo we're going to go have lunch with Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny, and then we're going to go to the park by our old house – the one with the swings you liked – and then we can go have some ice cream, and we'll be back here for supper," Hermione told Samantha. "What do you think? Sounds good?"

Samantha nodded a toothy smile. "Sounds like fun, Mommy!"

Hermione smiled back, holding up her daughter's sweater for her to put on.

It was still hard for her to imagine that in two days, she would be a Hogwarts teacher. A professor. She'd get to sit at the staff table, award points … take points away. Give detention, give assignments. It was like a dream come true.

"What kinds of animals are at the zoo, Mommy?" Samantha wondered.

"You don't want me spoiling the surprise for you, do you?" Hermione reminded her daughter.

Samantha shook her head. "Nope!"

Chuckling, Hermione stated, "Then we'd better get going."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lunch was over, and Samantha was taking her afternoon nap, so Hermione took the opportunity to catch up with Harry and Ginny. Ginny was just over three months pregnant, but if you weren't looking for the baby bump you wouldn't be able to tell.

"Mom can't wait for me to have this baby," Ginny admitted. "I think she's even more excited than we are."

Hermione smiled. "I'll bet. She's been fawning over Samantha since she was born, and they aren't even related."

Ginny smiled back. "That reminds me … there's something Harry and I wanted to ask you."

Hermione nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "Shoot."

Ginny gave her an odd expression.

"Sorry. Muggle thing. What I meant was: go ahead," Hermione explained.

"Well, we've seen how well you've looked after Samantha, and we were so honored when you asked us to be godparents, we wondered if we could return the favor?"

Hermione blinked. "You want me to be your baby's godmother?"

Ginny nodded. "Harry already asked Sirius, and he agreed, and we both thought it would be perfect if you –"

"I would love to!" Hermione insisted, cutting her off.

"Really?"

She nodded, setting down her tea to hug her friend. "Definitely."

"Yay!" Ginny exclaimed quietly through her tears. "Damn hormones."

Hermione sniffled. "Then what's my excuse?"

They both chuckled, wiping the happy tears off their face.

Harry walked back into the room after checking on the still-sleeping Samantha. "So, I take it you asked her?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, giving Harry a hug as well. "Obviously I said yes."

"Obviously," he agreed. After readjusting his glasses, he joined them at the table, scooting his chair closer to his wife. "So, what have you been up to lately?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"… What did he say? What did he do?" Ginny asked with eyes wide and unblinking.

Hermione sighed, swallowing the lump in her throat that the memories had brought forth. "We haven't really spoken since," she told them. "He said that he didn't know, and that he was sorry for the intrusion, and since then I've been so busy getting ready for the school year, I've barely seen him. On the one hand, it's something I ever wanted him, or anyone else at Hogwarts to know. But on the other hand, at least he quit snooping around."

Harry nodded in agreement, annoyed at the older man for his lack of tact.

Ginny said, "I can understand why he'd be so nosy about it."

Harry and Hermione looked at her with matching expressions of shock and confusion.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I just mean … you remember what he was like when we were in school. You can't expect him to change just like that because the war is over. Hermione, you once told me that out of everyone in the school, he was the one person you most identified with, because of your shared thirst for knowledge, and intolerance for error or miscalculation. If he'd shown up with a kid when we were in school, we would have stopped at nothing to find out where the kid came from, and who the other parent was. The only thing that's different now is the roles have reversed. Can you honestly be mad at him for something we would have done?"

Hermione sighed. "I really hate it when you do that."

Ginny smiled cockily. "You love me. And you know I'm right."

"It's … possible," Hermione said slowly.

"Uh-huh."

Samantha padded out of the spare bedroom, yawning dramatically. "Mommy, I'm all rested up. Can we go to the park now?"

"Nice try, kiddo. You still have at least another hour of sleep time. Come on," Hermione told her, ushering her back into the room.

"But I'm not tired at all," she said with droopy eyes and a second yawn.

"Sure you're not," Hermione agreed, tucking her in.

Samantha rolled on her side, squinting at her mother. "Maybe I could sleep if you sing me the daydream song."

"Maybe you could?" Hermione wondered, smiling. "Well, alright. But only once."

Samantha nodded, sliding further under the covers.

"_I could hide, 'neath the wings, of the bluebird as she sings. The six o'clock alarm would never ring. But it rings, and I rise. Wipe the sleep out of my eyes. The shaving razor's cold, and it stings,_" Hermione crooned softly, tucking a lock of hair behind the little girl's ear. "_Cheer up sleepy Jean. Oh what can it mean to a daydream believer and a homecoming queen …_"

She trailed off, noting her daughter's soft snoring, and gave her a light peck on the cheek before leaving the room.

"I wish I had your voice," Ginny complimented her when she came back to the table.

"Well, I've had plenty of practice. She usually wants to hear that song every night before bedtime. My mom used to … whenever I had a bad dream, it would make me feel better."

Ginny nodded with sad eyes. "It's their own fault that they're not a part of Samantha's life," she reminded her friend.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "I know. I wouldn't want them around her anyway. I just … there's a lot of things I miss."

"Yeah … just remember, you always have a family with us," Ginny told her, and Harry nodded in agreement.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Come on, Mommy, you can do it," Samantha urged her mother on, bouncing with excitement.

"I'm gonna do it," Hermione informed her daughter. "Just give me a minute."

Samantha sighed dramatically. "If you don't hurry, I'm gonna pee my pants!"

Hermione knocked on the door in front of her and waited.

The door opened a few second later.

"I have to pee!" she exclaimed, bouncing with her knees together.

Snape raised his eyebrows and showed her to the bathroom.

Hermione waited uncertainly in the doorway, and when Snape came back he motioned for her to come in, closing the door behind her.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Little kids can't hold their bladders very well."

Snape nodded in understanding. "It's no trouble."

A few awkward moments passed, the silence only interrupted by the sound of Samantha singing on the toilet.

"About before … I should apol –"

Hermione shook her head. "Forget about it. We actually came to see if you wanted to join us for a trip down to the lake before supper. Samantha wants to see the squid, and she wanted me to ask you to come."

"Oh," Snape said, almost fidgeting. "I understand if it would be awkward. If you wanted me to tell her that I couldn't come, I'm sure I could be persuasive."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you could, but that's not necessary. We'd both like you to come, if you're not busy. You were right before … about us being colleagues. I see no reason why we shouldn't get to know each other. And Samantha seems to like you, so even if we have nothing to talk about … there's that," she finished awkwardly, scratching her ear.

"Well, alright then," Snape agreed after a minute, just as the toilet flushed.

Hermione excused herself momentarily. "She needs help washing her hands."

Snape nodded in understanding as she left, leaving him with his thoughts.

_Spending time with her and her kid? Now? You're supposed to be using this time more productively, Severus! There's only two days until the beginning of the school year, and by then you'll be too preoccupied by snot-nosed brats to do a proper search! How are you going to get this out of your head if you can't get it over with quickly? Damned fool! Oh, shut up, here they come. _

"I take it you're ready to go?" he asked the smaller one.

"Yep!" Samantha answered. "I feel much better now!"

"Well, that's … good," he mumbled.

Hermione stepped in. "Well, let's go, shall we? We want to be back before supper."

Snape lead them to a spot where the squid went to avoid students, told Samantha to be very quiet and wait. And sure enough, after a few minutes, the squid came up to the surface.

Samantha grabbed Snape's hand, pulling it over her mouth so she wouldn't squeal in delight as the giant squid played in the water before her very eyes.

Snape's body remained stiff as he looked from his hand to Hermione in near-horrific confusion.

Hermione held back a giggle at his reaction and sat back, enjoying the show.

They stayed for another half hour before they headed back, Samantha talking Snape's ear off about the fun they had at the zoo and the park and eating ice cream and how cool the squid was and if he got to play with him often and what he thought they were having for supper that night.

Hermione watched in amusement as he forced himself to be nice to the little girl, knowing if it had been an older person he would have sent them away crying with only a look.

Snape excused himself when they reached the front doors, claiming to need to check with Filch about something, but Hermione could tell he was getting a headache, and didn't want to hurt Samantha's feelings. That thought made her heart do a strange little flop that she'd never felt before.

Shaking it off, she and Samantha continued to the Great Hall, but when they arrived, Minerva pulled Hermione over to the side.

"Would you mind coming with me for a few minutes?" the older woman asked her.

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. There's just someone in my office that wishes to speak with you," Minerva told her. I've asked Hagrid to watch young Samantha, if that's alright with you?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Sure. Lead the way."

They made their way to the Headmistress's office quickly, and Hermione's mind was spinning, trying to figure out who would want to talk to her at Hogwarts that couldn't just knock on her door or send her an owl.

Minerva gave her shoulder a soft, reassuring pat before opening the door.

"… Mom?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_End of chapter five. _

_Short again, I know, but I wanted to end it there. _

_The next chapter will be longer, but might take longer to update. _

_I hope you're still enjoying this so far, I know I'm loving writing it. _

_Don't be shy about leaving a review! _


	6. Chapter 6

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter 6. _

…

_A/N: Nope … still don't own Harry Potter. Sigh … _

…

_Disclaimer: Okay, here's chapter six. For the first six people who read my last chapter, I fixed the typo, and now it says chapter five like it should. Thanks for all the review so far, guys. You've been awesome and patient! _

_This chapter should be longer than the last few, even if I end up combining two chapters into one. My first couple chapters had over 3000 words, and it's been slowly dropping down to low 2000s. _

_I'm so happy they're making two movies for the final book, can't wait to see Half Blood Prince. Probably won't see it in theatres, but I'm definitely buying it when it comes out. Usually it comes out around my birthday, but it's already in theatres, and I don't think there'll be a three-month wait to put it on DVD. _

_Anywhoo, enough out of me, on with the story!_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"… Mom?" Hermione couldn't believe what she was seeing. She hadn't seen her mother in almost 4 years … October 28th, 1997 was the last time she'd spoken to her mother, and now she was standing less than ten feet away from her, at Hogwarts of all places.

"Hello, Hermione," the older woman answered her.

Minerva stepped back, giving them space, but remained in the office.

"What are you doing here? How did you even get here?" Hermione wanted to know. Her hands were clenched by her sides, and she was suddenly grateful that Samantha was with Hagrid. She could feel her heart thudding in every part of her body, and she found herself wondering if it would ever shrink back down, or if she'd be swallowing heartbeats for the rest of her life.

"I went to that pub … the Leaky Cauldron, and asked the bartender if he could contact the Headmaster – or Headmistress, as it is – and tell her I wished to speak to her about you. She agreed to bring me here so I could see you," Jean Granger explained.

"Does Dad know you're here?" was her next question.

Mrs. Granger shook her head. "If I'd told him where I was going … he wouldn't have been happy, to say the least … You look good."

Hermione glared at her mother. "Well, it's certainly an improvement from the last time you saw me. My scars have faded, my hair grew out … oh, yeah, and I had a baby. What's new with you?"

"I know we haven't been the best of parents, but that's no excuse to –"

"Excuse? Are you kidding me? You threw me out when I wouldn't have an abortion. _Not the best of parents_ would be an extreme understatement!"

Hermione glared at her mother, her chest heaving with anger. For the moment, the other woman seemed to be lost for words.

She turned to previous Head of House and said, "I'm sorry for any trouble you went through bringing her here, but I have nothing to say to her. I would greatly appreciate it if she would be sent home now, thank you."

Minerva nodded, and Hermione left the office, rushing down the stairs and back to the Great Hall.

Her pace increasing with her rage, she didn't hear the person calling her name until a hand grabbed her shoulder.

"What?" she demanded loudly, face red and out of breath.

"I called your name several times and you didn't answer," Snape told her. "What's the problem?"

Hermione shook out of his grasp. "The problem is that my bitch of a mother thinks she can just show up out of the blue and have everything be forgotten! That's the problem!"

Next thing she knew, Snape was hauling her down a separate hallway and into an empty classroom.

"What are you doing?" she cried out, pulling away.

"Do you want your daughter to hear you ranting about your mother, making a scene in the hallway?" he explained to her, shutting the door.

Hermione clenched her jaw, but answered, "No. Of course not."

"Then vent out your anger in private."

Hermione begrudgingly agreed with his logic, fuming with such force that she could have sworn steam was shooting out her ears.

"How the hell do you tell your child that keeping a baby conceived during rape is worse than getting raped? How the hell do you throw out your pregnant daughter? I could have ended up anywhere! If it weren't for the Weasleys … how could they do that?" she demanded to know, unconsciously invading Snape's personal space.

"I'd like to remind you at this time that it was your parents who did this, and not me. I'd appreciate it if you expressed your anger at something other than myself … perhaps you wish to hit something?" he offered, looking down at her.

For the first time, Hermione noticed just how close she'd come to him. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, wondered how she'd never noticed before just how tall he really was.

She could feel her body covering itself with goose bumps, and a slight shiver coursed through her.

"Um … sorry about that," she said sheepishly, but couldn't make herself move.

He titled his head a fraction of an inch, almost whispering, "It's understandable. Just don't let it happen again."

She nodded slowly, her eyes moving of their own accord to trace the defined features of his face, from his nose which Ron used to mock ruthlessly, to the soft curve of his lips.

Her lips parted, wetting themselves with her tongue, and for a moment, it was as though gravity was pulling them subtly closer together, and then she blinked and everything fell back into focus.

She took a quick step back, her face flushed. "Sorry. I'm … better now. Excuse me."

She moved past him and hurried back to the Great Hall, but he remained where he was. "Easy for you to say … damned woman. Oh boy. Think unpleasant things, Severus."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

After supper Hermione asked Minerva if she wouldn't mind taking care of Samantha for a few hours, she needed to leave the castle. The older woman agreed without hesitation, feeling she hadn't spent nearly enough time with the little girl.

Hermione first used the Floo Network to stop by Harry and Ginny's house. They were both surprised to here of her mother's sudden appearance, but it was Harry who told her she should respond to her mother.

"She took the first step by wanting to see you," he explained. "I know I'm biased, but if it had been my mother, I wouldn't have hesitated to see her. You said yourself … there are a lot of things you miss. Maybe you can't get back everything you had, but if she's willing to let you in, you've gotta try."

Hermione shook her head after a moment, trying to collect her thoughts. _Maybe I'm not willing to let her back in._

She walked around Muggle London for an hour, debating the situation in her head. Somehow, her feet walked her up to the one place she'd never wanted to go back to, and after a few minutes she pushed the doorbell with a shaky hand.

She'd hoped it would be her mother who answered the door, but her hopes were dashed when she looked up to see a weathered-looking man in his mid-forties looking at her with surprise in his eyes.

"Hermione?"

She forced herself to meet his eyes. "Hello father."

There were several things she expected him to do: stare at her in shock for a few minutes, slam the door in her face, ban her from his property, or simply start in on her like she were some ungodly thing. The last thing she expected was for him to pull her into the biggest, wettest bear-hug she'd ever had.

It was several seconds before she realized he was crying, and several more before she realized he was hugging her.

"I'm so sorry," he choked out, his head pressed against her shoulder. She couldn't have returned the hug if she'd wanted to, as her arms were stuck at her sides, so she just hung there while he cried and mumbled his apologies.

After a few moments, her mother came to see who was at the door, and to hold onto the wall to keep from falling over at the sight.

That was all it took, and Hermione too broke down. She wanted to yell and scream and curse at them, tell them how much she hated them for what they'd done, but her voice betrayed her and all she could do was cry.

Her father loosened his grip, setting her back down and giving her some space so he could wipe his eyes clear. Her mother took this opportunity to hesitantly step forward, and Hermione nodded, letting her walk forward and wrap her arms around her slender form.

She managed to hold back any further tears, but her body was wracked, and she'd lost the will to yell.

Her father closed the door, letting her mother lead her into the dining room to talk.

"I'm so happy you came back, Hermione," her mother insisted.

Hermione sighed shakily, looking at everything but her parents. "I'll admit, I came here with the intention of yelling at you."

Jean Granger smiled sadly. "I would have deserved it."

Her father, Paul, nodded in agreement. "How are you doing? Are you okay? Are … both of you okay?"

Not meeting his eye, she nodded. "We're fine. We moved to Hogwarts a couple weeks ago. Actually … how did you know to find me at Hogwarts?"

Paul looked at Jean in confusion, and she answered sheepishly, "One of your old professors came by the house. He wanted … well, I'm not sure what he wanted, but he made a point of saying you and your … our grandchild were at Hogwarts, and that you were now a teacher there."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Let me guess. Professor Snape?"

Her mother nodded.

"Can't keep his nose out of my business for ten seconds," she muttered under her breath.

"He was rude, but effective," the older woman confessed.

Paul interrupted, "Why didn't you tell me about this? Or that you went to see her?"

"I thought you wouldn't approve. I figured you'd be upset if I told you, and I didn't want that," she told him.

"Well, you were wrong," he informed her.

She smiled back at him. "I've never been happier to be wrong."

Hermione flared her eyes. "As touching as this moment is, I'd like to continue the conversation we didn't really have in the Headmistress's office."

Her mother nodded, switching her attention back to her daughter. "First of all, I wanted to apologize for what we did … for shunning you. It's the worst thing I've ever done, and I would take it back in a heartbeat."

Her father nodded his agreement emphatically.

Hermione sighed, folding her arms over her stomach. "It's not something that's gonna be fixed with a simple apology. I'm not asking for anything," she assured them. "But I can't come here if you still feel the same way about my daughter."

"Daughter?" her father repeated, tears brimming in his eyes once more. "You had a girl?"

Hermione nodded.

"… Can you tell me her name?"

Her mother leaned forward in her seat along with her father, and she said, "Her name is Samantha Ginevra Molly Granger. I gave birth to her on June 13th. … She has brown eyes, like mine … and yours."

Her father looked as though he were about to break down once more, so she excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Everything was almost exactly as she remembered it. They even used the same soap, same style of hand towels.

Out of curiosity, she headed down the hallway a few doors until she reached one in particular. After a moment's hesitation she opened the door, her breath catching at the sight.

Her bedroom, exactly as she left it. With a considerable amount of dust, but they hadn't gotten rid of her stuff … it looked as though they'd never even come into the room after she'd left.

She placed a fisted hand on her heart, walking through the room with tears in her eyes. She'd taken only a suitcase full of clothes and whatever she could fit into her trunk when she'd left, leaving everything else behind. Old pictures still hung on the walls, trinkets on her dresser in exactly the same place.

Her old music box sat closed on her bedside table, and she walked over to it. Kneeling, she blew the dust off the lid before opening it.

It was the instrumental version of "Daydream Believer", with two monkeys dancing around each other.

She didn't hear her mother at the door, and jumped slightly when she crouched down beside her.

"That was your favorite song when you were little," her mother told her, eyes glazed with the memory. "You used to make me sing it to you when –"

"When I was scared. I remember," Hermione replied. "Samantha loves the song too. She makes me sing it to her before bed," she admitted, sniffling slightly.

Jean Granger laid a tentative hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I'd love to meet her."

Hermione stood slowly, pulling back her shoulder. "Maybe. Not right away," she stated firmly. "But … maybe, after a little while."

Her mother nodded agreeably. "I understand. Um ... we already had supper, but we'd love you to stay for tea, if you want?"

Hermione said, "I only have a sitter for a couple of hours. I should probably head back."

Jean Granger dipped her head before nodding sadly.

Hermione sighed. "But one cup of tea couldn't hurt."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was dark out before Hermione got back to the castle, and she chose to apparate to the edge of the grounds instead of using Floo powder. She needed the time to think, and it was a bit of a walk to the castle.

If she did decide to let her parents meet Samantha, it would have to be a time when she could be there. She wasn't ready for them to meet her tomorrow, and the next day she'd have off would be next weekend.

Before she made any kind of decision, she'd have to talk to Samantha first. Being three years old, she'd probably be excited at the chance to meet new people, but she wanted to prepare her in any case. Then again, if she'd done any kind of preparing before going to see her parents, she would have talked herself out of it.

She pulled her music box out of her purse, opening the lid and listening to the sweet melody as she walked.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to worry about it another time, and let her mind wander.

She wondered if she could actually maintain a professional relationship with Snape. He'd shown his dislike of her many times when she was a student, and she was sure the only reason he'd been nice to her when she'd arrived – aside from their first meeting at Hagrid's hut – was because he wanted to know about Samantha. _And after he found out the truth, he must have felt so guilty … that's why he's been friendly to me. Although, that moment in the classroom today … talk about intense. Not really sure what that was about, but I can still hear my heart pounding. I wonder if he has this effect on all new teachers. _

She grew closer to the castle and shut the lid of her music box, replacing it in her purse. She planned to surprise Samantha with it later.

Pushing away all thoughts of Severus Snape, she set off to find Minerva and apologize for being gone so long.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Think nothing of it," the older woman insisted. "Things went well, I gather?"

Hermione nodded with a shrug. "Better than I expected. Although, I'm not really sure what I was expecting. Anyway, thanks for watching her. I promise, this won't become a habit."

Minerva waved her off. "I insist that it must. I quite enjoy her company. If you ask me, we could do with lowering the age requirement."

Hermione smiled. "That _would_ be interesting, wouldn't it?"

"Poor Argus would have a heart attack, I'm sure," the Headmistress joked.

"I'm just happy Samantha hasn't discovered Mrs. Norris yet," Hermione admitted.

Minerva smiled. "I'm sure he's hiding her somewhere."

Hermione chuckled in agreement, hoisting her sleeping daughter into her arms. "Thanks again."

"It was my pleasure," Minerva told her.

Hermione began walking back to her rooms, but was already out of breath by the time she got down the stairs. It was difficult carrying both her purse – which was slipping down her arm – and Samantha, but she didn't want to set her down incase she woke her up.

"Do you require assistance?" a silky voice asked from behind her.

Hermione turned slightly, whispering, "Nice timing."

He held out his hands, offering to take either her purse or the child, and after a moments consideration she carefully maneuvered Samantha into his arms. She stirred for a few seconds, and he froze, but then she fisted the material of his robes into her tiny hands and fell back into a deep slumber.

Hermione fought back a smile at the sight, resisting the urge to say, "Isn't that so cute?" She highly doubted anyone had said 'cute' about Severus Snape and lived to tell about it.

They walked to her rooms in silence, Hermione opening the front door and the door to her bedroom, watching as Snape carefully laid her down on her bed, and then pulled the blanket up over her.

She didn't seem to want to let go of his robes, but he managed to coax himself free, and then retreated quickly as she kissed her daughter goodnight and closed the door.

She moved into the living room, sitting down on one end of the couch and sighing deeply. "Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem," he shrugged, standing awkwardly.

"Not just for helping me bring her back here," she told him, turning her head to look at him. "Thank you for sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong … again."

Snape eyed her with confusion. "Pardon?"

She smirked. "For going to see my mother."

"Ah, that."

"Yep. That," she repeated, sliding off her shoes. "It was none of your business, but if you hadn't gone there, she wouldn't have come here."

"I take it, then, that things between you have been mended?" he wondered, slowly sitting down.

She tilted her head back, letting it rest on the back of the couch. "Looks that way."

"… You're not happy about it?" he asked her, studying her carefully.

She closed her eyes slowly. "It's not that I'm unhappy. I'm just wary. Things got pretty bad between us; it's hard to believe it could be so easily fixed."

"I see what you mean."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't, so she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a while.

"One more day of freedom, huh?" she said, hoping to start a conversation.

"I'm still clinging to my fantasy of a train wreck preventing all the children from returning this year," he replied.

She snorted, smacking his arm playfully. "With an attitude like that, I can't imagine why you aren't all the kids' favorite professor."

"Me either," he joked back, and Hermione looked over to see him smirking. Not sneering or wearing his usual sadistic smirk that could only mean trouble, but an honest almost-smile. It suited him.

She smiled back, and for a moment they sat there, eyes locked, seemingly gazing into each other's eyes, but then Severus broke eye contact and stood, his blank expression in place.

"Well, I should be getting back to my rooms. Busy day tomorrow," he explained. "Lots of prep-work to do."

Hermione stood, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I should probably head to bed. Um … thanks for today. For calming me down before, in the classroom. It would have been bad for Samantha to see me like that."

He clenched his jaw for a second at the memory, shaking his head and walking to the front door. "Think nothing of it. Goodnight, Miss Granger."

"Goodnight, Professor Snape," she replied, closing the door softly behind him.

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_Okay, end of chapter six. _

_What do you think so far? _

_I have absolutely no idea how long this story will be, but if people continue to enjoy it, I'll write more. _

_Flame if you must, but constructive criticism is so much more productive. Happy reviews make me smile the most!_

_Until next time …! _


	7. Chapter 7

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter 7. _

…

_Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't have to write fanfic. I might do it anyway, but I wouldn't have to. _

…

_A/N: Tada! Another chapter! Thanks for all the reviews so far guys, you've been supercalifragiliciousexpialadocious-ly awesome! _

_Yeah … It's 1 in the morning and I'm watching Van Wilder while being hopped up on caffeine … hyper. _

_Without a whole lot of further ado, here's the next chapter!_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

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The last day of summer break was upon them, and Hermione felt she was prepared. For school, that was. Ready to impart his wisdom on the next generation? Definitely. Ready to deal with her own issues? Not so much.

She took Samantha to the Gryffindor common room once more, wanting some place that was familiar and homey to talk to her. They were still setting into their new place, and they wouldn't be able to come in here whenever they wanted once school started.

"Sweetie, can Mommy talk to you for a minute?" Hermione wondered, bringing her to a stop in front of her.

"Sure, Mommy," she answered, pulling herself up onto the couch.

Hermione took a deep breath, wondering where to begin. "You know how I'm your Mom, and Auntie Molly and Uncle Arthur are mommies and daddies as well?"

"Uh-huh," Samantha answered, picking at her dress.

"Well, I have a mommy and daddy too," she explained. "They're your grandparents."

Samantha looked at her in confusion. "What's a gran-parent?"

Hermione thought for a second. "Well, it's someone who looked after your mommy or daddy when they were little, and looks after you when mommy can't. They're supposed to love you and make sure you're always okay." The last part had a hidden bitterness in it, but Samantha didn't notice.

She tilted her head as though she were in deep thought. "So, Auntie Molly and Uncle Arthur are my grandparents?"

"Um, well …" Hermione didn't know what to say to that. Based on what she'd just said, that would be an accurate assumption. "I guess so. But they aren't related to you. Grandparents like Molly and Arthur are people who choose to love you."

Samantha smiled. "And I love them too!"

"I know you do, Sweetie. So do I," Hermione agreed. She paused, thinking over what she was trying to say.

"Mommy, can I go play now?"

Hermione simply dipped her head, allowing Samantha to slide off the couch and dance around the room.

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Hermione eyed the parchment in front of her, quill poised, but her mind was blank. She had two hours, maybe a little more before Samantha returned from her play-date with Fred and George, and wanted to use this time to write a letter to her parents.

She couldn't force Samantha to meet them when she herself wasn't sure she wanted them back in her life, but at the same time, she didn't want to do something that would split them apart for another four years.

A sharp knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts, but trying to maintain some focus on her task, she called out "It's open," and waited for whoever it was to enter her rooms.

"You don't lock your door?" Snape asked her incredulously, striding up beside her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "We're at Hogwarts. No place safer and all that."

Snape scoffed. "You're only inviting trouble."

"Is there something you needed?" she asked him, tapping her writing instrument on the paper in front of her.

"Minerva wishes to know if you'll be joining us in Hogsmeade for a pre-semester drink," he informed her.

Hermione bit her upper lip, thinking it over.

Snape tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for her to answer. "Well?"

"I'm thinking," she supplied.

"Don't strain yourself," he muttered.

She glared pointedly at him, but he held his gaze, so she set down her pen. "When would we be leaving?"

"We are to meet at the Great Hall at 7:00," he told her, glancing at his watch. "Four hours and thirty minutes from now."

Hermione nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem, so long as I can get a sitter for Samantha."

"Minerva has already arranged for her to spend the night with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Snape explained. "With your go-ahead, of course."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Of course."

"Then I'll inform Minerva you will indeed be joining us," he stated, turning to leave.

"You know, you don't have to be so formal," she told him, causing him to pause.

He replied, "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I mean, you could just say, "hey a bunch of us are going to get a drink later, wanna come?" Would that be so hard?"

"I assure you, Miss Granger, those words will never pass these lips," he insisted.

He turned to leave, but once again she stopped him. "You know, starting tomorrow, you might consider calling me "Professor Granger"," she suggested. "Or even Hermione."

_Definitely not Hermione. Must maintain professional._ "You'll want to dress lightly, but bring a coat. The night air is cool, but the Three Broomsticks is often overly warm inside."

"Thank you, Professor."

He nodded once, leaving her room.

Hermione leaned back in her chair, trying to remember the last time she'd "been out for drinks".

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"You know, I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite like this," Hermione informed what was left of the staff in their booth at the Three Broomsticks. Minerva, Remus, Filius, Pomona and Poppy had left, leaving only Hagrid, Trelawny, Snape and Hermione. Filch and a few others had elected to stay at the castle, so it was just the four of them.

"You've never had firewhisky?" Snape asked her, slightly buzzed himself.

Hermione shook her head. "It's just never tasted like this before. Oh, no! I can't have a hangover my first day as a teacher!"

Hagrid clapped a clumsy hand on her shoulder, nursing his own mead. "Don't worry yourself so much, Hermione. Relax ... take a load off …"

Snape rolled his eyes, returning his attention to the more-than-a-little tipsy, panicking woman. "I'll have the house elves deliver a potion to rid you of it in the morning," he promised, taking another swig of his drink.

Hermione smiled up at him in admiration. "Thank you, Snape."

He shifted uneasily under her gaze. "Just drink your whisky, Miss Granger. Enjoy the night off."

Hermione emptied the contents of her glass, sighing contentedly. She stretched out her loosened muscles, her hips arching off the seat as she pulled her arms above her head, the hem of her shirt rising to show the creamy skin of her stomach.

Snape gulped audibly, but covered it with a swallow of his own firewhisky.

"I think I'm going to call it a night," Snape stated, fishing out a couple galleons to cover his drinks.

Hermione, noticing Trelawny passed out against Hagrid, finished the "seer's" drink for her and stood on shaky feet. "I think I'll join you."

He knew it would be bad for her to walk back to Hogwarts in her state, so he relented, tossing an extra galleon and a few sickles to cover both their costs.

She smiled once again in gratitude.

"You can stop doing that now," he told her half-heartedly, his hand lightly gripping the dip of her elbow to lead her through the crowd and out the door.

The walk back to the castle was slow-going as Hermione stopped every few seconds to point out something pretty. Snape supposed he'd be less tolerant of her behavior if he hadn't downed a half-dozen glasses of firewhisky. _Or was it a round dozen? Who knows … good god, what is she doing now?_

"I wish I weren't afraid of flying," she confessed, spreading her arms and looking up at the sky. "It must be gorgeous up there."

"I'm sure it's nothing too spectacular."

Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically, the subtle motion causing her neck to loll to the side as well.

"You know, if you weren't so glum all the time, you'd be a lot more attractive," she informed him with a hiccup.

He raised his eyebrows at that. _Down, boy. _"Is that so?"

Hermione nodded matter-of-factly. "Although, I suppose half of your thrall comes from your sour disposition."

He almost snickered. "I have a thrall now, do I?"

"Yup."

She tripped over her feet, nearly landing face first, but he managed to catch her and pull her back, standing her upright.

"I understand more clearly why you don't keep hard liquor in your home, Miss Granger," he began. "You make a lousy drunk."

Hermione scoffed, scrunching up her nose. "I, sir, am not drunk!"

He snorted at that, turning her around to face the direction they were supposed to be heading. "Yes, madam, you are."

They managed to make their way back to the castle with no lasting damage, not for lack of trying. Hermione seemed fond of falling down or losing her footing so that Snape would have to set her right once more. A couple times he almost considered carrying her. _What a sight that would make. _

He planned on merely dropping her off at her door, but she insisted he come in for another drink to toast the new school year, and in the end he couldn't resist her glazed-over, puppy-dog eyes.

Pouring them each a generous amount of wine, Hermione raised her glass, bumping it against Snape's with a loud _clang_.

"To … children!" she said after a moment.

Snape rolled his eyes but drank, enjoying the sweeter taste.

"So … how are you and the young one settling in?" he wondered awkwardly after a while. Small-talk was not his thing.

"We're doing fine," Hermione told him, leaning back in her seat and stretching out her legs. "We're used to moving around a lot."

He nodded in understanding.

"I've never regretted having her, you know."

Snape took another sip of his wine, letting her continue.

"I mean, I don't wish I'd been … or anything like that, but I'm lucky to have her in my life." She blew a puff of air towards an unruly lock of hair, scattering it across her forehead.

Snape decided to press the conversation further. "Why is it that the men who … did that to you were never found?"

Hermione frowned, eyes downcast. "I couldn't describe them."

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

She shrugged, her buzz threatening to wear off. "I could picture them in my mind, but when it came to describing them, or even drawing them, I couldn't make it work. It was like … my mind wouldn't let me get it out."

Snape studied her, deep in thought.

_It is possible … they'd have to be highly skilled. Probably rogue Death Eaters. Only one way to find out, though … good thing she's drunk. I was planning on doing this while she was sleeping, or otherwise vulnerable. _

"Miss Granger, I'm going to attempt something, and I require your assistance," he told her. "Are you able?"

"Sure," she said, wiping a phantom itch off her nose.

"I need you to try and remember everything you can about that night, try and picture everything in your head."

She nodded uneasily, but did as she was told.

Snape moved his chair so he was in front of her, preparing to delve into her mind.

~_She was walking home from her birthday party, enjoying the night air and thinking back fondly over the night's events. Ron had offered to walk her home, but he was slightly tipsy, and she didn't want to ward off any advances he might decide to make, so she assured him she'd be safe walking home in muggle "territory". _

_Before she even knew there was anyone behind her, she heard the words "petrificus totalus", and her entire body froze, falling to the ground. _

_She wanted to scream, but couldn't make any sound come out. She attempted to reverse the spell without her wand, but a voice in her head suddenly said, "You don't want to call for help. You will not reverse the spell." She felt like she shouldn't be listening to it, but she did, and simply lay there, waiting. _

_She was levitated into an unlit alley and lowered to the ground with little ease. _

_One of the two men, not many years older than her began to undress her. The other whispered something incoherent, and then she felt an odd tingling beginning in her eyes, and then drifting through her head slowly. _

_He leaned toward her, his hazel eyes gleaming with malice. "When this is over Mudblood, you won't be able to tell anyone who did this to you. Now be a good little muggle-born, and open your legs." _

_He pried them apart with him wand, never releasing her from the full-body bind. _

_Several tears leaked out of her eyes, and her body turned a deep shade of red. Not only from their constant beating and abuse of her once unmarred body, but from the force of trying to break free from her captors, and getting nowhere. ~_

Snape pulled himself out of her mind, panting from both the exertion and the fury.

"The spell they placed on you made it impossible for you to ever reveal their identities," he informed her with clenched fists. "Along with the Imperius curse, that is." _Bastards must have been using a stolen or unregistered wand. _

"Luckily, I've now seen their faces and can sketch them for you, or identify them in some other way without the spell interfering," he explained.

Hermione seemed to have sobered up a bit, and was staring at him with a mixture of depression and violation.

"Did you just use Legilimency on me?" she wanted to know. "Did you see everything that …?"

He nodded. "Yes, I did."

She stood up, standing in front of him. He waited for her to speak, and when she didn't he too stood up.

He was caught off-guard when the first smack landed evenly across his cheek.

"What are you –?"

But he ended there as she continued to hurl her hands at him, sometimes fisted, sometimes trying to smack him in the face.

"You weren't supposed to see that! You didn't ask me if you could, you tricked me! You weren't allowed to see what they did to me!"

He couldn't have said anything if he wanted to, so he simply grabbed her wrists in his rough hands, neither pulling her close nor letting her go.

She struggled, wanting to hit him some more, but his grip was like being locked in cement, without the constant pressure. She couldn't move her hands, but he wasn't hurting her.

She forced her head up, looking at him with wild eyes, and for once his mask was off, and she could see every emotion on his face, as plain as day. Worry, confusion, embarrassment, anger, and … something else. Something she'd seen before, but never on him.

If she didn't know better, she would have called it lust, but that was impossible.

She took quick breaths, holding his eyes with hers while neither of them moved an inch. Her head was spinning, leaving her feeling dazed, and she felt his hot breath pouring over her as his lips parted.

And then they were moving again. Without thought, she'd shuffled her feet forward, and his head seemed much closer to hers than before.

Her eyes widened as her gaze traveled from his eyes to his mouth, and then back again.

Her lower body worked of its own accord, pushing her up onto her tip-toes as one of his hands let go to tuck loose strands of hair behind her ear. She expected him to pull back any second, but the hand remained at her cheek before sliding down to rest on the crook of her neck.

Her head swam, her heart pounded, her stomach flopped, and the last thing she noted before she closed her eyes was that there was less than an inch between hers and Snape's lips.

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_Hehe, end of chapter seven. _

_Love this … mostly because I know what's gonna happen next! _

_I hope you're still enjoying this story, I know I'm loving writing it. _

_Reviews are the best thing a fanfic writer could ask for, don't be shy! _

_Until next time …! _


	8. Chapter 8

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter 8. _

…

_Disclaimer: See chapters 1 – 7. As I've forgotten to add thus far: The songs "It's a Small World" and "Daydream Believer" are not mine, I just borrow them from time to time. _

…

_A/N: Yeah … I'll save the majority of this Author's Note for the end of the story, just incase I give anything away. _

_Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I hope you're still enjoying the story. This is apparently my most popular story, as it has the highest number of people who've put it on their alert list: 141, and the highest number of people to favorite it: 36. Wowzers. Thanks guys, you rock! _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

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_**Previously: (Her head swam, her heart pounded, her stomach flopped, and the last thing she noted before she closed her eyes was that there was less than an inch between hers and Snape's lips.) **_

…

Hermione drew in a deep shaky breath, and in that moment her entire body froze. She clapped her hand to her mouth, her eyes snapping open, wide and alarmed. "I'm gonna be sick!" she informed him, hauling ass to the bathroom.

He stood where he was for several moments, listening in mundane surprise to the sound of retching. His hand slowly dropped back down to his side, and he berated himself internally.

The sound of the toilet flushing snapped him from his trance, and he straightened himself up as best he could.

She walked slowly out of the bathroom, one hand wiping her mouth while the other held her still queasy stomach. "I think I'm going to retire for the night, if you don't mind," she informed him, eyes downcast.

"Of course. I'll have the potion sent over immediately," he told her, intent on leaving the room as soon as possible.

"Potion?"

He reminded her, "The hangover potion I told you I would have a house elf deliver to you, so you don't have to begin your first day as a teacher on such a gloomy note."

Hermione nodded, but her head disliked that very much, reporting its distaste to her stomach, and she ceased the action immediately. "Right. Thank you, Professor."

"Not a problem," he insisted, turning on his heel.

"Goodnight, Professor," she called out to him, and he paused before closing the door.

"Goodnight … Professor Granger," he repeated back, unsure if she'd heard him.

_Stupid git,_ he reminded himself over and over as he stalked back to his rooms. _What were you thinking? Trying to kiss her? Did you actually think she'd kiss you back, when just moments before she was pounding you for reading her thoughts – oh, right … the whole reason you did that. Come on man, pull yourself together, you've got work to do. _

Back in her room, Hermione laid awake in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The hangover potion that Winky had just delivered stared at her from her bedside table. _What just happened? There's no way that Severus Snape just about almost kissed me. I mean, I really must be losing it, here. … He was drunk. Well, maybe not as drunk as I was, but he'd had a few drinks, and momentarily forgot how much he doesn't like me, that's all. And then I go and practically throw myself at him – well done, Hermione – and he's standing there trying to figure how best to let me down easy. Oh, thank you drunk-stomach, thank you. _

She rolled over slowly, doing her best not to churn her stomach about again, and sighed deeply. She knew he'd seen what they'd done to her. Why he'd done it? She had no clue. There was nothing he could do about it, even if he wanted to. _Just more of his damn insatiable curiosity … his "thirst for knowledge". Just has to know everything. _

"I kind of hate you," she said to no one in particular, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the persistent extra thump in her heart.

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The first day of school went by quickly. The staff spent the entire morning and a better part of the afternoon making sure everything was clean and in place, everything off-limits was locked up, and doing one last sweep of the classrooms to be sure everything was perfect. It was nearly evening before the students arrived, and Hermione was anxious for her first Sorting Ceremony as a Professor.

Samantha was jittery; excited for her own "first day" at Hogwarts, even though Hermione explained to her several times that she wouldn't be able to join any of the classes.

Minerva had approved Hermione's request to have Samantha sit with them during meals, but made it clear she wasn't to roam the castle without an escort. Hermione assured her it wouldn't be an issue.

While she was partial to Gryffindor, she was curious to see how Slytherin would be sorted, now that the war was over and Voldemort was officially, completely and eternally dead.

The new students looked just as excited and nervous as she'd felt her first day, some even looking a bit green – and not with envy. She felt bad for them, her maternal instincts wanting her to get up from her seat and reassure each and every one of them that there was nothing to fear from Hogwarts, but the professional/realistic side of her new that boundaries were important, and she didn't take the job at Hogwarts to be everyone's mother.

She simply tried to look as pleasant and receptive as possible, earning a sneer from Snape. They had an unspoken agreement to forget the previous night and continue with the "relationship" they'd had before.

In the end, the children were sorted relatively evenly, and chatter filled the Great Hall once again.

Hermione had missed that sound.

Minerva called for silence and began introducing the Professors and Heads of Houses. Hermione stood when her name was called, offering a polite nod. Many of the sixth and seventh years remembered her from her last couple years at Hogwarts, and most everyone recognized her as a member of the "Golden Trio", and as such she received more applause than the rest of the staff, causing her to blush deeply.

She sat down before the applause ended, her gaze flickering to Snape several times. He wore his usual mask of displeasure, but she caught him looking back at her once.

All too soon, the feast was over, and it was time for the students to head to their dormitories, and time for the Professors to have their evening meeting.

Dobby was summoned to take Samantha back to her rooms, and he gave his chest an extra puff at being asked to do such an important task. Hermione knew he could handle Samantha if she had a rare temper tantrum or defiant episode, all he would have to do was '_pop_' her back to the Great Hall and Hermione would take her to bed herself.

The first thing Minerva did was hand them all a schedule of their after hours patrol times and routes. Minerva had made a note on Hermione's to assure her there would always be a house elf – preferably Dobby, Kreacher or Winky – available to watch over Samantha while she was on her patrol.

They were also given a list of recommended amounts of point awarding/deducting, the first on the list being out of beds after hours. The amount of points deducted got higher as the year of the student grew, which made perfect sense to Hermione.

Hermione could see Snape eyeing his with a look of humor … clearly he didn't stick to the "recommended" amounts.

She noticed gratefully that she wasn't on duty to patrol tonight. Her mind was buzzing with anticipation of the next day, and she doubted she'd have been able to focus, anyway. Most likely she'd end up wandering the halls aimlessly and miss the most obvious of things, if there were things to be noticed at all.

Once the meeting was over and Minerva had bid them all goodnight, Hermione made her way back to her rooms, glancing over the lists she'd been handed.

"You seem to be anticipating your first day of classes with excitement, Professor," Snape observed, sliding alongside her.

Hermione nodded distractedly.

He folded his hands together behind his back, slowing his pace so she could keep up. "It has been my experience that if the children are afraid of you, they are less likely to cross you," he offered.

Hermione scoffed. "I'm sure it has worked for you, Professor, but I'd prefer to have a more … content relationship with my students."

It was Snape's turn to scoff. "They will walk all over you, Miss Granger."

Hermione opened her mouth to correct him, but changed her mind. "I will take it under advisement, thank you."

He nodded, seemingly pleased with himself.

They came to the "fork in the road", as it were, and Hermione looked up from her papers. "Well, goodnight, Professor," she said with a small air of awkwardness.

He nodded curtly. "Indeed. Have … pleasant dreams?"

Hermione grinned at that, her eyes shining. "You as well."

Snape turned and left, his robes flaring around him as he went. _Well, that's wasn't at all awkward. … Pleasant dreams? What is that? This is exactly why you're supposed to be keeping your distance. Bloody fool. _

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Hermione kissed Samantha on the forehead, waiting for Fleur to arrive through the Floo. They didn't have long to wait, which Hermione was thankful for. She didn't want to be late to her first class.

"She ez all ready?" Fleur wondered, her French accent as thick as ever.

"She has everything," Hermione assured her. "And if you need anything, you can Floo back here and get it."

Fleur nodded, taking Samantha's hand in hers.

To her daughter, Hermione said, "Have fun with Auntie Fleur and Uncle Bill."

"I will, Mommy. Have fun at school," she replied.

Hermione laughed at that. "I will, too, Sweetie. Bye now."

She got one last hug in before the two were off, and Hermione finished getting ready, throwing on her new teacher's robes and grabbing her wand.

She made it to the Great Hall in time for breakfast, quickly setting into her seat next to Snape. She nodded in greeting to Remus who was on Snape's other side before digging in to her meal.

Snape inquired, "Where is Miss Samantha this morning?"

Hermione swallowed before answering, something Ron had never managed to learn. "She's with Bill and Fleur Weasley."

He nodded after a moment. "Bill is the Weasley that works at Gringotts?"

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled, lips closed tight around her food. It was still an odd occurrence for her, making small-talk with Severus Snape.

"And he is also the one whom Fenrir Greyback attacked and wounded?" he asked.

Hermione answered after taking a sip of Pumpkin Juice. "Yes. Molly was concerned his "disfigured" appearance would cause Fleur to not want to marry him, but she was pleasantly surprised. I suppose it didn't happen that often, back then."

"Indeed."

While odd, she did enjoy her conversations with him. He seemed to regard her with less animosity, and was much less sneaky and curious after finding out about what happened to her. He hadn't tried to bring it up yet, which she was monumentally grateful for.

The staff finished their breakfast before the students, something Snape told her was quite common as the students preferred to spend their meals "goofing off", and Hermione found herself finally understanding why it seemed the professors were always staring down at them from the Head table, most of them impatiently. It did get a bit dull.

She struck up a conversation with Remus, which proved a little difficult with Snape between them. He told her that he and Tonks were expecting another child, and she smiled happily, attempting to pat his back around Snape, ending up with her upper body pressed into his shoulder and bicep. His surprisingly firm bicep.

She pulled back, blushing slightly, not noticing the smirk that disappeared quickly from the Potions Master's face. Remus, however, did catch it, and covered his chuckle by clearing his throat.

Chatter throughout the Great Hall slowly died down, and the students were finally done their meal. Everything disappeared with a small '_pop!_', something the first years found utterly fascinating.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione's first day went well. Her first class had been third years, and for the most part they stuck to their lesson. As most students would with a new teacher, they tried pushing the boundaries and testing her authority, but Hermione held firm, showing them she wasn't a pushover.

Her second class had been sixth years, and they had been persistent in asking questions about what she'd been doing, what Harry and Ron were up to, who the little girl beside her at the table the other night was, and so on. She'd advised them that all personal questions would have to wait until the end of the lesson, if all their work was complete, and even then, she had no obligation to answer them.

After lunch she had her third and last class of the day: fourth years, and they were by far the best behaved. She kept expecting something to go wrong, but nothing did. It was a perfect ending to an altogether good day, even though Hermione continually expected something horrible to happen.

Before supper she returned to her rooms in time to Floo Fleur and retrieve Samantha. She'd had a wonderful time with her Aunt and Uncle, but couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts and sit at the high table, and talk to the ghosts, and see Severus.

Bill's eyebrows perked at that, as Ginny's had, but she ignored the pointed looks and said their farewells.

They went straight to the Great Hall after dropping off Samantha's coat and bag, making it in plenty of time.

Students were just beginning to arrive, and Samantha waved happily at everyone as she was ushered to her seat beside between Hermione and Snape.

"Hello, Severus," she greeted, wiggling around in her chair until she was comfortable.

"Good evening, Miss Samantha. How are you tonight?" he wondered in his silky drawl.

"I'm good," she informed him, attempting to scoot her chair closer to him.

He looked momentarily affronted by this, unnerved by her decidedly public display of "affection".

"Careful," he warned, laying a hand on her wobbling chair. "Wouldn't want you to fall over."

Hermione smirked at his uneasiness, deciding to have a little fun. "Well, here, I'll help," she told them, and shifted Samantha's chair until it was right next to Snape's. "There we go."

He glared at her out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. Remus chuckled from beside him, and Snape _accidentally_ knocked over his glass of pumpkin juice, watching as it soaked into his lap.

"Very mature," Remus told him, cleaning the area with a flick of his wand.

"Must have slipped," Snape insisted dryly.

Hermione chuckled, carrying on a conversation with both Snape and Remus while Samantha sipped her drink out of her transfigured cup. They began discussing classes in general, moving on to her first day and how it had gone, and in the end it began a debate about who's class was better, more interesting, who the students preferred. Snape maintained that his students didn't have to like him to excel in his class, and it was no fault of his that they were all complete dunderheads.

This launched he and Hermione into a debate, leaving Samantha and Remus watching with confused and bemused expressions.

Samantha titled her head at their antics, watching thoughtfully. Being with her aunt and uncle all day and watching them interact had fascinated her – as much as it could a three-year old – and she found herself wondering about a lot of things lately.

She looked between her mother and the older professor, biting her lip for a minute.

When there was a slight pause in their argument, Samantha tugged on Severus's robes, gaining his attention.

"Excuse me Severus. Are you married?"

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_End of chapter 8. _

_Stone me if you must, but I loved this chapter. I didn't want them to kiss so soon, but I had it written one of two ways: the way it is here, or I was going to have them kiss and so forth to the point before having sex, and then have Hermione wake up in her bed, Severus having carried her there after she passed out of her way to the castle. I liked this idea, but I didn't want Hermione to "realize" her feelings for Snape just yet. _

_I hope you're still enjoying this story, I know I'm loving it. Stargate SG-1 attempted to distract me the last couple days, but I fought it off. _

_Nothing too exciting in this chapter, but there should be a funny scene in the beginning of the next chapter, where this one leaves off. _

_So, flame if you must, but nice reviews are so much … nicer. Constructive criticism is always welcome. _

_Until next time …! _


	9. Chapter 9

…

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Nine. _

…

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I would not have killed off Sirius or Snape. Also, the songs Daydream Believer and It's A Small World, aren't mine either, just favorite bedtime songs from when I was little. _

…

_A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the annoyingly long wait. I've been so busy with classes and looking after my brothers, and then I was in a Smallville phase, but I'm working through it. Channeling all my Smallville frenzy into doing trivia, leaving me free to write about Harry Potter. Woot woot! _

_Okay, so, in the last chapter, Snape and Hermione _almost_ kissed, but we can't have that so soon, can we? Snape is being all cryptic about his "plan", Hogwarts had its sorting ceremony and first day of classes. At the end of the day, Sammy wants to know if Severus is married. Hmm … what could be on her mind? He-he. _

_I'm only a little bit wired on pop. _

_Okay, so my many apologies again for the long wait, but hopefully I can keep focused on this story and finish it, without rushing it and ruining it. _

_Without further ado, here's the next installment! _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback. (P.S. thank you so much for all the awesome reviews on the last chapter, you guys are amazing!) _

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Snape worked very hard not to choke on the food in his mouth. It wasn't easy, but he managed it. "Excuse me?" he wondered, after he swallowed.

"Are you married? Uncle Remus is married to Auntie Tonks, Uncle Harry is married to Auntie Ginny, Uncle Bill is married to Auntie Fleur, Uncle Arthur is married to Auntie Molly … but my mommy isn't married, and I don't know if you are."

Hermione had never heard so many words come out of her daughter's mouth that wasn't just playful babbling, and so was too surprised to focus on what her daughter was implying.

Remus bit back his smile, but his eyes were alight with laughter.

"No," Snape answered finally, "I am not married."

He moved to take a drink of his pumpkin juice, but Samantha interrupted him with another question. "Why not?"

Snape sighed. "Because I have not felt the need to be married."

She looked at him thoughtfully while he took a long drink, seeming to ponder her next question.

Snape looked at Hermione with annoyance and confusion, trying to signal with his eyes that she should "control" her daughter.

"Do you have any children?" Samantha asked next.

"None that I'm aware of," he answered, spying Remus chuckling out of the corner of his eye.

"What does that mean?" the little girl wondered.

Snape sighed, looking back at Hermione for help, but she too was looking at him with curiosity.

"It was sarcasm, Samantha. I meant: no, I do not have any children," Snape confirmed. "Now you should eat your supper before it gets cold."

Samantha shrugged. "I'm not hungry anymore. Besides, you're more inneresting."

"In-ter-esting," Snape corrected automatically.

"Interesting," Samantha repeated. She too heard the chuckling coming from the other side of Snape, and looked up in time to see the Potions Master elbow her uncle in the ribs.

This caused Remus to chuckle even harder, though he looked momentarily in pain. Samantha watched the scene before her in fascination, trying to turn in her seat so she could see more.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the two, turning Samantha back around in her seat.

"But Mommy, I –"

Hermione shook her head. "Don't "but Mommy" me, Samantha. Eat your supper, and leave Professor Snape alone for now, or I won't let you ask him to show you the giant squid again after supper."

Samantha and Snape were surprised by this, and while Samantha hurriedly ate her food in tiny bites, Snape looked almost affronted.

_Why the sneaky, little … she knows I won't say know if the little one asks me. That's just downright … conniving. I'm impressed. _

Hermione smirked to herself, pleased with her own idea, but really … it was the only way to get Samantha to stop asking him such personal questions. _Especially when I'm pretty sure I know where they were headed. I should probably have a conversation with Samantha about that. She's too young to understand why I don't have a husband. And evidently more than old enough to make me squirm. _

Samantha managed to finish half of what was left on her plate, but was too full to eat any more, so Hermione let her sit back in her chair and watch Snape for a few moments.

Snape could feel her eyes on him, and almost let himself believe that she'd forgotten what her mother had suggested, but then she tugged lightly on his sleeve.

"Psst," she whispered, and he could see Hermione smirking at that.

Snape sighed and looked down at Samantha. "Yes?"

"I'm all done my supper now, can I ask you a question?" she wondered politely.

Even Snape had to work to not grin at that. "I suppose."

Samantha smiled. "Can you take us to see the squid again?"

He raised his eyebrow at the word "us", and glanced over at Hermione to see her reaction. She shrugged, indicating with her own eyebrows that it was fine with her, so he looked back at Samantha. "Alright then. But I can't guarantee the squid will want to come. He doesn't go there every day, and you'll have to be very quiet again. Meaning no questions."

Hermione smiled as Samantha seemed to ponder that.

_Ha, I've got her there. So like her mother. Can't not ask quest –_

"Okay. Can we go now?" Samantha asked.

Snape sighed, but nodded his head. He stood from his chair, preparing to lead them out of the Great Hall, when Samantha held her arms out for Snape.

He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. "What?"

Remus spoke up from behind him. "She wants you to pick her up."

Snape's eyes widened at that, and instantly felt as though all eyes in the Great Hall were on him. After checking thoroughly, he found the students were too engrossed in their meal to pay any attention to him.

Samantha waited patiently, and after another moment – and realizing that Granger wasn't going to come to his "rescue", he leaned forward and gingerly plucked the three-year old out of her chair and quickly set her back down on the ground.

Samantha looked momentarily disappointed that he wasn't going to carry her, but waved goodbye to Remus and grabbed her mother's hand as they walked away from the head table.

None of them noticed the barely concealed grins from several staff members as they passed, though Snape made a point of pushing Remus's chair forward as he passed him.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Samantha waited as patiently as she could, but they'd been sitting on the rocks by the lake for over twenty minutes, and there was no sign of the giant squid. She was antsy and disappointed, and wanted her mother or Severus to do something about it.

"Can't you call him out?" she asked him.

Snape shook his head. "He isn't a dog, Samantha. He comes when he pleases, and doesn't like being around people."

Hermione registered the hidden meaning behind that, but let it slide as her daughter seemed to have grown attached to the grump – for some reason.

"Maybe you just haven't tried hard enough," Samantha reasoned stubbornly.

Snape began to wonder if the child would throw a tantrum. He couldn't imagine the little girl doing something like that, but he hadn't been around her that much, and she seemed to be growing increasingly annoyed.

Hermione tugged the girl into her lap, leaning her mouth close to her ear.

"Sweetie, we can just come back another time. Maybe the squid is sleepy, and doesn't want to be bothered," she suggested. "I think you're a little sleepy, too. Did you have a fun day with Auntie Fleur and Uncle Bill?"

Samantha ignored her mother's attempts to distract her, wanting to see the giant squid again. "What if you sing the daydream song?"

Hermione flushed at that. "Um, I don't think that will work. The giant squid doesn't come if he hears people, remember?"

Samantha looked up at her mother. "Yeah, but he's never heard you before, Mommy. He'll love your song. Pretty please?"

Snape found himself intrigued by this, wanting to find out what Samantha was talking about.

"She might have a point, _Professor_. I don't believe anyone has ever tried _singing_ to the squid before. Perhaps it could work," he commented.

She glared daggers at him when Samantha wasn't looking.

"Sweetie, I don't really want to –"

"Please? Please, please, please, please, please, please, please?" Samantha begged, really wanting to see the giant squid that night.

Snape couldn't contain his grin at that, and Hermione was so shocked to see such emotion on his face that she finally relented, and agreed to sing the song.

_It's not like it'll be the most embarrassing thing he's ever seen me do. I mean … he saw those teeth before … yeah. _

Hermione cleared her throat and pushed all thoughts of Severus Snape, overly large teeth, and embarrassment out of her mind, pretending she was simply singing her daughter to sleep.

"_I could hide, 'neath the wings, of the bluebird as she sings. The six o'clock alarm will never ring. But it rings, and I rise. Wipe the sleep out of my eyes. The shaving razor's cold, and it stings. Cheer up sleepy Jean. Oh what can it mean, to a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?"_ She paused, wondering it that was all the torment she'd have to endure, but Samantha nodded for her to keep going, and Snape wasn't making any snide comments, so she continued, figuring the song might at least make her daughter sleepy. "_You one thought of me, as a white knight on his steed. But now you how happy I can be. And our good times starts and end, without dollar one to spend. But how much baby do we really need? Cheer up sleepy Jean. Oh what can it mean, to a daydream believer and a homecoming queen? Cheer up sleepy Jean. Oh what –_ Oh, Samantha, look!" Hermione whispered, pointing to bubbles in the water.

Samantha bounced excitedly, her hands gripping her knees as the giant squid slowly lifted his eyes out of the water.

Hermione was flabbergasted. "I can't believe that actually worked."

She glanced over at Snape, waiting for him to share in her disbelief, but he wasn't looking at her in confusion or surprise. He looked … transfixed. She found herself caught in his gaze, and couldn't bring herself to look away as his eyes seemed to penetrate into her very soul.

Her body seemed to heat up despite the cool temperature around them, and she felt a tingles moving up her neck until Samantha patted her knee.

"Mommy, he's going away, let's sing another song!" she exclaimed.

Hermione broke her gaze with Snape, looking down at her daughter and blinking a few times. "Um, okay, what song do you want to sing?"

Samantha thought for a moment. "How about the Small World song?"

Hermione smiled sweetly at that, nodding. "Okay, but this is the last one. I'm sure Professor Snape doesn't want to stay out here all night."

Samantha shook her head. "It's okay, Mommy. He's having fun. Now, let's sing."

Hermione wondered about that, but began to sing along with her daughter, who didn't know all the worlds, and ended up humming along with her mother.

"_It's a world of laughter, a world of tears. It's a world of hopes, and a world of fears. There's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware, it's a small world after all. It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all. It's a small, small world."_

Snape watched the two girls singing, amazed and confused at the reaction it was causing. Firstly, he hadn't actually expected the squid to come to her voice, but after hearing it … how could it not? It was quite possibly the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He shook himself internally, but couldn't stop himself from watching her mouth move, or the smile on her face while she sang with and to her daughter.

He hadn't been able to look away when she'd glanced at him, finding it hard to believe that something so magical could come out of someone so … well, no. Despite how she tried to live, she was truly the essence of magic. Poetic, almost.

He had no idea what they were singing, where it was from, or what it was supposed to mean, but the words didn't matter to him.

Hermione chuckled as they finished the song, and Samantha kept humming along to herself while the squid splashed around. She found herself wondering if anyone else before them had figured out that the squid would come if you sang to it. Hermione liked the idea of being the one to discover it, with a little – a lot of – help from her daughter.

They watched the squid play around to Samantha's voice for another ten minutes or so, but Samantha's yawn was their cue to leave, despite her many protests, and they made their way back to the castle. Hermione promised they'd come back to the lake soon to see the squid, but Samantha had to get a good night's sleep, so she'd be nice and chipper for when her Auntie Molly came over to play with her tomorrow.

She'd made plans to meet with Ron, Harry and Ginny at the Three Broomstick's that night, so she'd eaten very little at supper. Dobby had offered to watch over Samantha while she was out, and Hermione had agreed, but made sure Molly was ready to Floo in at the drop of a hat if something happened that Dobby couldn't handle, or if Samantha had a nightmare.

She'd never really gotten used to the idea of leaving her daughter at home while she went out and "had fun". Samantha had been almost eight months old before she'd spent any longer than a few hours away from her, and that had been a struggle. But her friends had made her realize that she couldn't spend her life as a shut-in, and she'd never be able to get her life back if she didn't go out and try to experience it.

So, she'd grown accustomed to the rare nights she got to spend with her friends, carefree. It made her feel as though she were a kid again, goofing off with her friends.

Hermione bid Snape farewell when the reached their rooms. He'd been quiet the entire walk back, and seemed to be in a hurry to say goodnight, so she ushered Samantha in the door after the little girl said a sleepy goodnight to the older man.

She got Samantha ready for bed, tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and turned on the music box now nestled on her bedside table. Samantha loved it, and was snoring softly mere moments later.

Hermione changed out of her teacher's robes and into muggle jeans and a t-shirt, throwing her cloak over her shoulders for warmth.

Ron met her at the castle gates, and they walked together to Hogsmeade, neither knowing the furious efforts of one man inside the castle.

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_Okay, end of chapter nine. A bit shorter, but the next one should be longer. And updated sooner. Sorry again for the wait, and thank you for your amazing patience. _

_Wish me luck on my midterm today! _

_Flame if you must, but constructive criticism is more welcome. _

_Until next time …! _


	10. Chapter 10

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Ten._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: Sorry for the overly long wait ... that virus on my computer really eff-ed me up, and that I had to get back in the swing of writing fanfics ... but I'm back! Hopefully I'll be able to update this consistently until It's finished ... fingers crossed ... _

_Anywhoo, no reason to drag out the author's note. _

_Hope you guys are still enjoying this fic, and thank you so much for your patience!_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

It was well past visiting hours at Akbaban, but Snape had pull with a few of the wizard personnel who worked there, so he had no trouble getting in. He had sketched the faces that he'd seen on a simple piece of parchment - not that he needed to, their images were imprinted in his memory - and closed himself into the records room to attempt to match their faces to an inmate. Many Death Eaters were rounded up and imprisoned after Voldemort's defeat, but Snape knew that not all of them had. Some went into hiding, some managed to provide "proof" that they had been under the Imperius Curse, and as such avoided incarceration.

A part of him hoped that they weren't in Azkaban, as he looked forward to hunting them down and capturing them himself, but he needed somewhere to start, and this was it.

He had been flipping through "mug shots" for over an hour, and was beginning to think neither one of them had been captured, when he turned one more page and saw one of the faces screaming back at him. He skimmed through his arrest report, finding that he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban for being discovered to be a Death Eater while torturing muggles with magic, but there was no accomplices listed, so Snape took down the information about where he was being kept, and continued flipping through the pictures with a renewed sense of vengeance.

After another hour and a half he finished the files on current and previous male inmates, and he hadn't been able to find the second face. Pushing back his disappointment, he focused his furious calm on the one he had found, and made his way back to the main office to turn in his wand before making his way to the man's cell. Even if it hadn't been a rule for visitor's, he wouldn't have wanted it with him. If the man needed any convincing to tell Snape what he wanted to know, Snape wanted it to be slow and painful ... and very physical.

* * *

Hermione chatted briefly with Ron as they made their way to the Three Broomsticks. He asked her how she and Samantha were settling in, and asked her about her classes. She didn't mind answering these questions, but it was always awkward when Ron asked her if she was seeing anyone. Ron had had his girlfriends here and there, but he always came back to Hermione. He seemed to think that they were still right for each other, even though she'd turned down his offer of marriage.

He was one of her dearest friends, but she just didn't see him that way. She always felt like she was crushing him when she told him she didn't have the time or energy for silly things like dating, and that her whole world was Samantha. It was easier than telling him - as she had done before - that she just wasn't interested in him.

He changed the subject to his role as Keeper for the Chudley Cannons, and Hermione was grateful for the reprieve. She promised she'd try to come and see him play, but honestly informed him that she didn't know when she'd get the time off.

They finally reached Hogsmeade and made their way into the pub to meet their friends. Harry and Ginny waved them over with smiles on their faces, on Hermione sat next to Ginny, taking up enough room that Ron had to sit beside Harry in the round booth.

She saw Harry and Ginny a lot more frequently than she saw Ron, but it was nice to see everyone together again. The boys ordered Firewhisky, but Hermione - remembering her experience with it not too long ago - opted for simple pumpkin juice, and Ginny did the same, ever-mindful of the life growing inside of her.

They chatted back and forth about random things, laughing like they used to. They talked about Ginny's hormones and Ron's successes and failures. They talked about Hermione's classes, and what it was like to be back at Hogwarts. Harry admitted that he missed it, and wouldn't mind teaching if he didn't enjoy being an Auror so much. Ginny, of course, hated having to be on maternity leave. She too enjoyed being an Auror, but knew better than to risk her baby's life with the risks the job entailed. She expressed her wish that the baby would hurry up and be born so she could get back to work.

Hermione informed her that she might think differently when the baby was born, which drew the conversation to Samantha.

Ginny brought up the fact that Samantha was so enamored with Snape, and Ron's ears flushed red.

"Wait, Samantha actually _likes_ him?" he wanted to know, shocked to his core.

Hermione sighed, sipping her juice. "He's not so bad, Ronald. Now that we're colleagues, he's much more tolerable. Almost friendly." She opted not to tell them about his constant need to stick his nose where it didn't belong, and as such, the fact that he had seen everything that had happened to her. Not even her friends knew the entirety of what had happened that night ... Hermione had told them she'd been knocked out halfway through the ordeal, wanting to spare them the pity and/or rage that would follow. They'd been furious enough as it was, but the thought that she'd been fortunate enough to have passed out had offered them solace.

"I'll never believe it," Ron continued. "Snape's always been a bastard."

Hermione glared at him. "You're only remembering the bad parts about him, Ronald. You don't know him like I do."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Still defending the git ... some things will never change."

Hermione wondered when she'd become so defensive of Snape, but Ron was right that she'd always done so in school. But that was because of the fact that Dumbledore had sworn his allegiance to the Light, and she trusted Dumbledore. Now, she knew Snape on a slightly more personal level ... and her opinion of him had still not changed. He was more brave than Ron would ever give him credit for. She told herself that was the only reason she had for defending him so.

Sighing, she changed the subject to Crookshanks, who was coming home at last. Hermione had wanted the new place to be familiar to them before Crookshanks came back from Harry and Ginny's. She hoped he would like his new home, and Harry joked about setting him loose on Mrs Norris.

* * *

Snape arrived at the cell he was looking for and opened it with the key he'd retrieved from the office. He slid it around his neck once the door was unlocked, tucking it into his robes so that the inmate couldn't pick his pocket and make a break for it. Snape snorted at the thought, knowing there was little chance of that happening, but it was the rules of visiting any inmate at Azkaban.

He entered the dark cell, seeing the scrawny man inside make a strangled leap for the door, and waiting until the last second to slam it closed, dashing his hopes for freedom.

"Please!" the man whimpered, clawing at Snape's clothes. "Please, I've been punished enough! I see all the bad I've done now! Please, let me out!"

Snape pulled his robes away, kicking the pathetic creature away from him with more force than necessary. He ended up sprawled against the opposite wall, struggling for breath.

"You're going to tell me what I want to know, and if you don't, the dementors will be the least of your problems," Snape spoke evenly, glaring down at one of the two men who had raped his colleague. _That's all she is to you ... a colleague_.

The man trembled, but didn't say anything.

"Four years ago in muggle London, you and another wizard raped a young girl named Hermione Granger. You will be made to pay for this crime - this is non-negotiable - but if you wish to ever see the outside world again, you will tell me the name of the other man who was with you." He had no intentions of letting the man ever see the light of day, but he had no qualms about lying to get the information he sought.

The inmate's eyes widened, shaking his head. "I can't tell you ... anything but that, please!"

Snape shook his head, sliding off his cloak and rolling up his sleeves.

"He'll kill me! I can't tell you!" the man insisted, cowering in the corner.

Snape sighed, advancing on the small man. "This will take as long as you make it ... but you will tell me his name."

* * *

Ron had offered to walk Hermione back to the school, but she declined his offer, still upset that his opinion of the Potions professor hadn't changed. Plus, she wanted some time to herself ... she didn't get much of it anymore. The cool, night air wrapped around her while she walked, and she enjoyed the smell of the magical world ... so different than living in muggle cities. Everything was so crisp and tangible.

She had reached the outskirts of Hogwarts' grounds when she heard the telltale _pop_ of an apparition behind her, and immediately whipped around, drawing her wand.

"I would appreciate if you didn't attempt to curse me into oblivious, Miss Granger," that silky voice drawled, and Hermione lowered her wand.

"Back to _Miss_ again, are we, _Professor_ Snape?" she asked him.

He slid into step beside her, walking towards the castle. "A slip of the tongue," he assured her, his calm exterior covering his inner conflict.

"So, where have you been tonight?" Hermione wondered, remembering him heading in the direction of his rooms before she'd put Samantha to bed.

Snape chose his words carefully. "Attending to a personal matter. And yourself? Where are you coming from?"

Hermione answered, "Visiting with friends in Hogsmeade. Harry, Ginny and Ron ... we try to get together at least once a month."

Snape nodded, not truly interested in the on-goings of the Potters or the Weasleys.

They made their way to the castle in comfortable silence - on Hermione's end at least - and when they finally arrived at the school, Snape was itching to get away from Hermione. He needed to think ... plan.

"Are you alright, Professor?" Hermione found herself asking. "You're quieter than usual ..."

Snape glanced away, absentmindedly adjusting his cloak. "I'm just -" He didn't get to finish as Hermione interrupted him.

"Your hand!" she exclaimed, pulling it towards her.

"Miss Granger -" he began, trying to pull his hand away, but she was as strong as she was stubborn.

"What happened?" she wanted to know, examining the cuts and bruises, and now that it was light and she was very close to him, she could see what looked like blood splashed on his cloak. It was hard to tell though, because it was mostly black.

He finally pulled his hand free, wiping it on the fabric of his cloak. "It's nothing."

Hermione got in his way as he tried to move past her. "Don't "it's nothing" me, I know what these marks are from ... Harry and Ron have been in enough fist-fights for me to know. Who were you hitting?"

Snape didn't answer, moving around her finally and heading to his quarters. Hermione followed him purposefully, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach that wouldn't go away.

He knew she'd followed him to his rooms, and thought about trying to deny her entrance, but he figured she'd just stand outside his rooms, pounding on the door and hollering for her to let him in, so he stood aside, allowing her to enter first.

He expected her to round in on him the second the door was closed, but instead she slid out of her cloak and asked whether he had a first-aid kit.

Snape nodded that he did, pointing to the cupboard where it resided. He hadn't had to use it for a few years, as his spy days were over, but he still kept it around out of habit. There were both muggle and magical forms of anti-septic, and Snape pointed out one that he'd made himself. She instructed him to remove his outer cloak, and saw him about to protest. She shut him up with a glare that he could be proud of, and grabbed a clean cloth out of a hamper the house elves had left out for him.

After soaking it with hot water she returned to the table where he sat, pulling a chair around to sit in front of him and _suggested_ he place his hands on the table so she could disinfect them.

He told her he was more than capable of cleaning up his own "mess", but she ignored him, wiping away the blood and feeling his muscles tighten as the hot cloth stung his hand.

"Exactly what "personal matters" were you attending to, Professor?" Hermione asked him, continuing to use his title to remind her of who she was dealing with.

She began to apply the anti-septic, making him pause before answering.

"The fact that it was personal makes it my business, _Professor_ Granger," he replied.

Hermione met his eyes. "Then look me in the eyes and tell me it had nothing to do with me."

Snape blinked and hesitated a fraction of a second before replying smoothly, "It had nothing to do with you."

Hermione sighed, returning her attentions to his other hand. "You know, I may not be a skilled Legimens like you, but I do know when someone is lying to me."

She finished her work in silence, bandaging his hands when she was done and clearing away her mess. "You'll want to see Madam Pomfrey if you'd like it to heal faster," she informed him.

He nodded, expecting her to take her leave, but she merely stood in his kitchen with her arms cross, staring at him impatiently.

"I'm waiting," she told him.

He sighed, and after a moment led her into the sitting room so they'd be more comfortable.

She sat down, expecting him to sit beside her, but he chose a chair across from her instead. After a minute of silence, she said, "Okay, let's have it. What was this all about?" She was pretty sure she knew the answer, but she wanted to hear from him ... almost as much as she didn't want to know.

He leaned his elbows on the arms of the chair, bringing his fingertips together as he contemplated where to begin. "I visited Azkaban tonight," he began.

Hermione nodded, flaring her nostrils. "And ...?"

Snape looked into her eyes from where he sat. "And one of the men who raped you is an inmate there."

Hermione shut her eyes, feeling her heart thudding in her chest. It was several seconds before she reminded herself to breathe, and she exhaled in a rush of air.

"He has a life sentence, he won't be getting out," Snape told her.

Hermione nodded, looking at the ground. "Okay ... so he's already paying for what he did. End of story."

Snape shook his head. "I'm not finished."

A part of her wanted him to stop talking ... she didn't want to know any more. But she had made him talk in the first place, so she stuck it out.

"I ... interrogated the inmate about the identity of the other man who was with him the night of the ... the night of your birthday, and after some time, he told me that the other man is also at Azkaban."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. They were both behind bars, she didn't have to deal with it. She could pretend as though it never happened.

"Okay ... so they're both imprisoned," she stated breathily.

Snape shook his head. "The second man is not an inmate."

Hermione glanced up at him. "What do you mean? How can he be there if he's not a prisoner?"

Snape held her gaze. "He is a member of the wizard staff employed at Azkaban. He works there."

* * *

End of chapter ten.

Again, sorry for the uber-long wait, but I hope it was worth it.

Flame if you must, but constructive criticism is more appreciated.

Until next time ...!


	11. Chapter 11

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Eleven._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: Ok, I just realized that I didn't put an Author's Note here before ... _

_So, anyway, here's chapter eleven. Thanks for sticking with this story, and thanks for all the great reviews! _

...

It had been many years since Hermione Granger had had an anxiety attack. She'd had them quite frequently when she was young, and several times at Hogwarts when she was worried about her grades. She'd had one when she'd found out she was pregnant, but not many after that.

This anxiety attack hit her hard, and she fell to her hands and knees on Snape's carpeted floor, trying desperately to control her breathing.

Not knowing what to do or how to help, Snape moved to her side and knelt beside her, placing a hand on her back and trying to speak to her.

"Miss Granger ... Professor Granger, can you hear me? You need to calm down," he tried, but it was useless.

Tears fell from Hermione's eyes as her body shook, and her hand moved of its own accord to the larger one on the carpet beside her. She didn't entirely register that it was Snape's hand, but she clutched it with her smaller one and tried to focus on that instead of her world crashing around her.

Snape wanted to pull his hand away, but he figured it must be helping her, so he let her squeeze as hard as she needed to.

She turned her hand so it was in line with his, then slid her fingers between his, gripping the underside of his hand with her fingertips. A few stray teardrops fell on their hands, but Hermione was already beginning to come down from her attack.

A few minutes later her breathing had returned to normal, and she wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"How could this happen?" she asked him with a shaky voice. "How could someone like him get that kind of a job? He's a Death Eater ... how could no one have noticed?"

Snape awkwardly pulled her hair away from her face with his free left hand, not knowing how to comfort her. "I don't know how it happened. But I will put an end to it. I have the memories that I extracted from you ... we can have him put away for the rest of his life."

Hermione glanced over at him beside her on the floor, not noticing their awkward position, or that they were still 'holding hands'. "I don't think I can ... I don't want to see him. I don't want to see either of them," she told him.

Snape sighed. "More than you want him to get away with what he did?"

Hermione practically growled, dropping her head down and staring at her knees while her hair curtained down around her. "He's _been_ getting away with it for the last 4 years! What difference does it make anymore?" She just wanted to forget any of it ever happened. She wanted Samantha, but none of the memories.

He took the hand from her back and used it to pull her hair over her other shoulder and after a moment's hesitation, took her chin and turned her head to face him. "The difference is: if you don't do something, he could and will do it to someone else."

He felt her jaw clench repeatedly under his fingers, then she rolled her eyes back and groaned. "Fine!" she griped, turning her head to glare at him.

He allowed a half-smile to grace his features, happy that she was onboard.

Hermione finally had her breathing completely under control, and felt a sense of calm after committing to going after the men who'd attacked her. Along with the calm, she suddenly became aware of the sensations all over her body. The first being her that her knees were getting sore. His carpet was nice to the touch, but too thin. The next thing she noticed was that her fingers were locked around his hand, and that his fingers had bent to cover hers. Third, she noticed that his calloused - but not unpleasant to the touch - hand was still holding her chin softly. Finally, she realized that for some strange reason, she had yet to move away from his touch.

Her eyes locked onto his as her breath hitched in her throat, and she felt her skin growing hot. All of a sudden she had too much saliva in her mouth, and the resulting swallow felt too much like a gulp. She felt like she did when he'd pulled her out of the hall and into an empty classroom, and she'd gotten into his face while ranting about her mother. She felt like she had when he brought her home after going out for drinks, and she'd hit him for looking at her memories without permission ... when she'd pushed herself up on her tip-toes so she could reach his ...

_Oh my,_ Hermione thought as everything clicked into place. _I can't believe I didn't realize ... should probably make a quick exit before he realizes that I ... yeah, I really gotta go._

"I should probably get going," she breathed in a whisper, loosening her hand on top of his. A second later he straightened his fingers, allowing her to pull her hand away. The one holding her chin dropped back to his side as she straightened his back and rose to his feet.

He extended his hand to help her up, and after a quick glance at his face accepted the offer and placed her soft hand in his, standing up.

"So, I guess we'll talk later ... about what to do," Hermione suggested.

Snape nodded, giving her hand a shake to justify holding it with his for a moment longer. "We both have patrol tomorrow night ... we could discuss it then."

"Okay, then," she replied, giving his hand a quick squeeze before pulling away and walking into the kitchen to the front door. Opening the door, she was halfway out when she spoke, "I'll see you tomorrow, Professor."

He dipped his head in goodbye, watching her close the door and wondering what the hell had happened.

Hermione was nearly at her rooms before she realized she'd left her cloak behind. She thought about returning for it, but couldn't make herself turn around. She had to get out of there and think.

...

Hermione thanked Dobby for watching Samantha and he popped back to the kitchens with a deep bow. She stepped slowly into her daughter's room, making her way to the rocking chair beside her bed. Careful not to wake her snoring daughter, Hermione settled into the chair, watching her sleep while her own mind was racing.

So much to comprehend in one night. She didn't want to deal with the Snape part of it, so she focused on the larger part of the evening ... in less than a week he'd sought out and found the men who'd attacked her, when no one else had been able to do anything with her lack of memory-recall. She wondered what would have happened if she'd thought to use Legilimency. _Would I have willingly let anyone see what all had been done to me that night?_ She doubted it.

Reaching for the back of her neck, she traced her finger against the skin covered by the shorter hairs and found the scar they'd left when they'd dragged her across the alley floor to hide her body, cutting her on a sharp rock. Glancing down at her feet, she could still see the slight bend in her third toe on the left foot where they'd broken it shoving her legs wide apart enough for them to maul her.

Her wounds had been taken care of by a muggle doctor, as she'd been unconscious when someone had found her, and as a result didn't heal as quickly as she would have if a medi-witch had healed her.

Glancing down at her sleeping daughter's precious face, Hermione forced the pain of that night out of her mind, and thought about what Snape was offering. Not only the chance to put away the man who'd gotten away with assaulting her, but being able to stop him from ever doing it to anyone else ever again. It was more than tempting.

She tried not to think about what her life would have been life if she'd never had Samantha. Under those circumstances, at least. She might have become an Auror along with Harry, or she may have gone on to continue her education at some advanced school for either witches or muggles. For a person with her capacity for learning, she truly could have done anything ... but as she looked down at the little girl who resembled her so, she couldn't make herself long for the life she could have had.

"I won't make putting him away about fixing my life," Hermione whispered, leaning her head back on the cushion of the rocking chair.

...

Hermione got through her classes the next day in anxious anticipation of the discussion she would be having with Snape that night. They acknowledged each other briefly throughout the day, but it wasn't until he left the staff table after supper that he slipped her a note telling her when and where to meet him.

Dobby expressed his gratitude once more at being given such an important and trustworthy task of "babysitting" while she did her rounds, and Hermione was grateful he saw it that way. She wished that Dobby would let her pay him in some way, but he assured her that what he received from the Headmistress was more than enough.

She made her way to the third floor corridor, the very same one they as students had been warned against going near. As she paced the hall, she found herself wondering what had become of Fluffy ... if Hagrid had been forced to get rid of him, if he now lived in the Forbidden Forest, or if he still lived within the castle.

She had reached the end of the hall, lost in her thoughts, and turned around to continue her pacing and nearly ran into a brick wall resembling that of Professor Snape.

"Jeeze!" Hermione hissed, stepping back. "Would it kill you to make noise when you walk?"

Snape shrugged. "Habit."

Hermione sighed. "Right ... of course."

"Shall we?" Snape spoke, motioning for them to walk.

Hermione nodded. "Sure."

They began their patrol of the halls, but he had chosen a place where students rarely came. Now that it was no longer off-limits, students seldom sought it out after hours.

"Okay, so ... how do you want to do this?" Hermione started.

"Well, obviously the spell they placed on you is still intact, and very powerful. I doubt I'll be able to remove it, as I was not the one to cast it, and I don't know the exact incantation," he explained.

"So, I still won't be able to physically identify him?" she concluded.

"Not necessarily," Snape corrected. "I believe I've found a way to work around the spell."

Hermione glanced over at him while they walked. "Okay, I'm listening."

Snape crossed his hands behind his back. "It might be possible to store your memories in a pensieve," he suggested.

Hermione shook her head. "I already tried that. Arthur Weasley suggested it when I couldn't give a description to the magical law enforcement officers, but it didn't work. The spell prevented it, I suppose."

Snape nodded. "I expected as much, but as you may recall, I was able to access those memories."

Hermione looked down in embarrassment. "Well, I never thought to have someone use Legilimency on me. I don't understand though ... would it be enough evidence for you to pull the memory of seeing it in my mind out of your mind? Couldn't they just say it was a false memory?" She thought back to when Harry told her of what Slughorn had done.

Snape answered, "I won't be extracting the memory from my mind, I'll pull it from yours, but while our minds are linked ... it's complicated, but I think it can be done. I believe that my presence in the extraction will enable it to be successful, so long as I am experiencing the memory while it is being extracted."

Hermione was not looking forward to him seeing everything all over again, but if he thought it would work, she didn't know what other choice she had.

"Okay, when do you want to do it?" she asked him.

He turned to look at her. "Whenever you feel ready."

Hermione just wanted it over and done with. "Tomorrow night?"

Snape was silent for a moment before nodding his head and continuing his patrol, not saying anything when she walked alongside him instead of returning to the route she'd been assigned.

...

_End of chapter eleven. _

_Hope you guys liked this one. I know ... still no kiss. Might be soon though ... might. _

_Flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	12. Chapter 12

_..._

_A fic._

_Chapter Twelve._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the quick feedback, guys! You rock! I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**Loyd1989:**__ I'm happy you're liking the pace, I myself am getting anxious to write the scene where they finally kiss, but I don't want to rush it and end up ruining it! _

_**Potioness:**__ Hehe, yes, I'm such a tease. I love writing the Samantha/Severus scenes, but it's hard to find a right place for them without the sole purpose being a cute scene between them ... I don't know, I'll try to write more in. _

_**Ell:**__ I know, I know ... the kiss __might__ be happening soon :D. I agree, Fluffy would have been awesome in the Battle of Hogwarts ... in one swift move he could eat three Death Eaters! _

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the great reviews, you keep me smiling! _

_Alright, so I'm going to try and bounce back and forth between this fic and my newer Snape/Hermione one, but I might end up finishing this one and then just going back to that one ... haven't decided yet. What do you guys think? Any preference? _

_Alright, let's get on with the story, shall we? _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Hermione had no classes the following morning, so she spent the morning with Samantha. They went down to the take after breakfast and Hermione attempted to describe the different types of saxicolous algae to her curious daughter. The only way to dissuade her from trying to touch the slimy rocks was by suggesting they try to lure out the giant squid again.

The next half hour was filled with Hermione singing and Samantha watching with wide eyes, and then giggling with glee when the squid came to the surface of the water to play. Samantha would grab a small stick and toss it in the water, and after a few seconds the squid would wrap one of its many tentacles around it and lob it back to her. Samantha would squeal with excitement and the squid would drop back under the water, causing the three-year old to tug on her mother's sweater and plead her to sing some more.

Hermione watched her daughter grow more and more excited, and the squid seemed to respond in kind. When he tossed the stick back to her, it started getting further and further away. Samantha would trot away from her mother to retrieve the stick, but then she would have to return to her mother to throw it back. Finally, the stick landed too far behind them for Samantha to find it with Hermione still being able to see her, and Hermione suggested to Samantha that maybe they let the squid have a rest now, but the little girl didn't want that. Hermione held Samantha gently on her lap, trying to get her to settle down, so Samantha glanced at the spot where the stick had fallen out of sight, and after a moment, Hermione heard a whipping sound. She turned her head to see the stick soaring through the air and watched with surprised eyes as the stick fell into the lake.

Samantha clapped happily, waiting for the squid to return it.

Hermione knew that young, magical children often showed signs of their magic at an early age, but to see it for herself was something else entirely. Samantha didn't seem to notice that anything spectacular had happened, but since Hermione had stopped singing, the squid went away, and Samantha said goodbye.

"Now what will we do, Mummy?" Samantha wondered, looking up at her.

Hermione blinked. "Um ... we're going to have tea with Uncle Hagrid now, Sweetie."

Samantha smiled, standing up and waiting for her mother.

Hermione pushed her surprise to the back of her mind, storing it away for later so she could pay attention to what she was doing.

Hagrid welcomed them happily, drawing them into the house and pulling out seats for the two girls. Since the last time he had tried to find a more suitable cup for Samantha, and ended up using the dish that held his sugars, giving her a spoon to use instead of sipping. Samantha didn't mind, pretending she was eating soup instead of drinking tea.

Hermione remembered to ask Hagrid what had happened to Fluffy, and he told her with tear-filled eyes that Dumbledore had decided that Fluffy would be too dangerous to be let out, and Hagrid hadn't wanted to keep him cooped up, so they'd found him a home close to where Charlie had taken _Norberta_, so that Hagrid could visit them both when he was able. Samantha asked why Uncle "Haggid" was so sad, and Hermione explained that he missed his old puppy while Hagrid composed himself.

They had finished the morning tea with Hagrid and were on their way back to the school when the urge to brag about her daughter's skill hit her. She thought about going back to tell Hagrid, but he had already began making his way into the Forbidden Forest to prepare for his first class. The next person that entered her mind was Severus. He had second-years first thing in the - _whoa, when did I start calling him Severus?_

Hermione sunk into her thoughts, and didn't hear the person coming up behind her.

"Boo!" the voice exclaimed and Hermione jumped, gripping Samantha's hand and pulling her behind her as she turned around.

"Jeeze, Hermione, it's just me," Ron assured her, reaching his hand out to pat her shoulder.

Hermione casually pulled away under the guise of adjusting bringing Samantha back around from behind her.

"Uncle Ron, you scared us!" Samantha admonished, frowning and giving him her best "Molly" look.

Ron pursed his lips. "Um, sorry Squirt," he replied.

Samantha sighed, looking up at her mother with sad eyes. She hated it when her Uncle Ron called her "Squirt". It made her feel like a baby who peed in her pants.

Hermione decided to ease the awkwardness by telling Ron of her daughter's magical experience.

"Guess who levitated a stick today?" she asked him with a barely contained smile.

Ron looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "Um ... you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, nudging her head down at her daughter.

There was a three-second long pause before it clicked for Ron, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "For real?"

Hermione nodded emphatically.

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed, bending down to life Samantha up. "Good for you!"

Samantha had no idea what he was so excited about, but she went with it, happy that he wasn't calling her "Squirt".

Ron maneuvered her so that she was sitting on his shoulder and they walked like that into the school.

"So, what are you doing here, Ron?" Hermione asked while they walked up the front steps.

"Thought I'd come by for a visit," he explained simply.

Hermione looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Well, how did you know I wouldn't have a class?"

Ron shrugged with effort. "It came up when I was talking to Ginny."

Hermione nodded, feeling awkward. She valued her friendship with Ron, but sometimes he just wouldn't clue in.

* * *

They wandered around the school for nearly an hour, with Hermione steering the conversation away from anything personal. They chatted about the students that she taught, took a trip down memory lane while they walked to familiar places, like the Room of Requirement. Hermione had been wanting to show Samantha the Room of Requirement since they'd arrived, and as they walked back and forth in front of it, she thought hard about a place that Samantha would enjoy.

When they finally entered the room, Hermione was amazed at what was inside. She hadn't made any specific decisions about what she'd wanted in the room, she had simply wanted something that would interest and entertain her daughter.

The walls were a surprisingly pleasant mixture of green, red, silver and gold; the colors danced around each other and curled together, and on the roof they became an explosion on fireworks. On the floor was a giant music box as big as Ron, with a tall, faceless man in a dark, black suit holding a slender woman in a flowing, white dress with long, brown curls cascading around her featureless face. They danced around as the music box played soft, happy music. Past the large music box was an assortment of toys for Samantha to play with. There were a pile of smaller toys for her to play with, and in each corner was a large, stuffed lion and a long, green snake. Against the side wall on the left was a kiddy pool with an enchanted, toy "giant" squid playing and splashing around.

Samantha slid off Ron's shoulders, jumping down the last little bit so she could run and play with the toys. She waved at the squid playing in the water and ran to the back of the room to pick up a toy, then went over to the pool to give the toy to the squid. From there, she ran to the corner with the long, stuffed snake and picked it up, tucking the "neck" under her arm so she could pat the head while she walked, dragging the rest behind her. She circled around the giant music box a couple of times, smiling up at the two figures dancing happily to the music. Oblivious to the stares of the two adults in the room, Samantha climbed up on the music box and swayed back and forth with the large figurines, draping the snake over their arms and trying to wrap her hands around their arms so she could dance with them.

Hermione watched the scene before her with her hand over her mouth, trying and failing to hide her surprise and guilt while watching her daughter basically enact her secret desires while she stood next to a man who was unable to accept their lack of a relationship.

_Oh, dear._

* * *

"Exactly how _friendly_ have you been with Snape?" Ron demanded to know, hands on his hips and whispering quietly enough so that the sound of the music box drowned him out.

Hermione felt her heart rate speeding up and hoped she wasn't flushed. "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

Ron motioned to the entire room with his hands. "Do I really need to explain?"

Hermione scratched her head. "Look, I just wanted the room to suit her interests ... she's probably just being drawn into all the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry ... and I just gave her my old music box a few days ago. It's nothing, Ron."

He looked at her, unwilling to believe that the possibility could actually be true. "So, there's nothing going on between you and Snape?"

Hermione looked over at her daughter, avoiding the question. "Seriously, Ronald, what do you think?"

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I don't know what I was thinking."

Hermione rubbed her hand on the back of her neck, trying to sort through her thoughts.

"Mummy, come play with me!" Samantha called out from in between the two dancing figures.

Hermione stepped away from Ron to join her daughter, a million thoughts buzzing through her head, and no idea how to make them form into one coherent idea.

* * *

_End of chapter twelve. _

_Hope you guys are still liking it, I know I am! _

_Next chapter: Snape delves into Hermione's mind ... possibly sees some things she doesn't want him to. _

_I'm thinking of having some Ron/Snape interaction ... what do you guys think? Yay, nay? _

_Flame if you must, but constructive criticism is always more helpful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	13. Chapter 13

_..._

A Snape/Hermione fic.  
Chapter Thirteen.

...

Disclaimer: See Ch. 1.

...

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews, guys. You rock! I'll respond to some reviews here:  
_**Skyegirl (aka, Ell): **__Thanks, I'm glad you liked the room. I loved writing it. I wanted to add SO many things that were Severus related, but I wanted it to be a little subtle ... Also, I'd be happy to read your George fic, I'm sure it's great.  
__**Potioness:**__ A fight between Ron and Snape would definitely be possible ... through I don't know if I'd make it a fist-fight or a duel ... Snape would kick his ass either way. Thanks for the great review, you're so great at inflating my ego.  
__**Readerforlife:**__ Yes. Stupid Ron. Always stupid Ron ... I've honestly never really liked him as a character. But, Rupert Grint ain't too bad to look at, so I don't mind him as much in the movies.  
__**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for the great reviews, I'm glad you're still enjoying this story.  
Sorry for the long wait, I've been in a Supernatural phase. I'll try to bounce back and forth between the two, 'cause I'm really enjoying Supernatural right now.  
Alrighty-roo, let's get on with the story, shall we?  
As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!  
_

Hermione paced around her kitchen, checking the clock every twenty seconds or so. She knew that Snape wouldn't be late, but she didn't know if he would be early.  
He had asked Harry and Ginny to take Samantha that night, telling them she would explain later. She hadn't wanted Samantha to be in the next room if something should happen. They had dropped off Crookshanks when they'd picked up Samantha, and he was currently in the process of sniffing out a spot to call his own.  
She had just looked at the clock again when she heard a knock at the door and almost jumped in surprise. Forcing air slowly out of her nose to try and calm herself she smoothed her hands down her stomach and moved to open the door.  
"Hi," she greeted nervously.  
Snape tipped his head in response, waiting for her to invite him in.  
She held the door open wider, allowing him entrance and feeling her heart rate speeding up. She so hoped she wouldn't have another panic attack. Closing the door behind him, she wondered aloud, "Would you like a drink or anything?"  
He turned, shaking his head. It was then that she noticed he was holding her folded up robes in his hands.  
"Oh, right ... thanks," she said, holding her hands out for the garment.  
"This is becoming a habit," he half-joked, handing her the robes and reminding her of when he'd left his robes in her rooms the night he'd helped her set up her furniture. That felt like ages ago now.  
"Right," Hermione replied. "We should really stop doing that." She took the robes and placed them on the hook by the door, fiddling with them for longer than necessary as an excuse to do something with her hands. "Are you sure I can't get you anything to drink?" Hermione asked again.

"Miss Granger ... if you are uncomfortable, we can try this another time," Snape suggested, seeing her discomfort.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I want to get this done with ... I'm just nervous."

Snape nodded. "Understandable."

Hermione forced herself to calm down and looked up at the man in her kitchen. "Okay, so where should we do this?"

Snape looked around. "Wherever you'd feel most comfortable."

Hermione reasoned that she'd feel most comfortable asleep in her bed, but that was the last thing she wanted to be thinking about at the present moment, and she forced the thought out of her head. "Um ... living room couch?"

Snape nodded his agreement, following behind her as she moved into the other room slowly.

Hermione glanced down at the couch before sitting down awkwardly, waiting for her colleague to simply begin. She wanted the entire ordeal to be done and over with.

Snape took his time removing his outer robe and pulling out of his pocket a pair of vials.

"Are we going to have to do it more than once?" Hermione asked him.

"No," Snape replied, shaking his head. "I always carry a spare, just in case."

Hermione nodded, playing with her fingers. "That's practical, I suppose."

Snape sighed, sitting down beside Hermione on the couch so that he was facing her. "This will not work unless you are calm and relaxed. I need you to let me into your mind, to become a part of your own mind so that I can extract the memory. Take as long as you need to feel comfortable."

Hermione nodded, thinking the feat was surely impossible, but steadying her breaths as best as she could. After a few minutes had passed she felt reasonably able to begin. "Okay, so what do I do? Just think about that night?"

Snape shook his head. "Not right away. I believe that in order for this to work, I'll need to enter your mind before you access that memory, and then guide you towards the memory. Otherwise the result will be no different than when you attempted to extract your own memories."

Hermione bobbed her head, agreeing internally that it did make sense. Though she didn't entirely love the idea of Snape steering his way through her mind, especially with the recent discovery she'd made. "Okay ... so what's going to happen? You'll enter my mind, and then seek out the memory?"

Snape nodded. "Basically, yes."

"So, you won't see anything else?" Hermione wanted to clarify.

Snape quirked an eyebrow at her nervousness. _I'm about to see her being raped and abused ... what else could she possibly be so embarrassed about?_ "Well, working my way through your mind won't be quite as simple as that. I have to find my way through different memories and moments until I find the right one."

Hermione's face fell at this, and Snape further elaborated, "If you are afraid I will uncover something embarrassing, I promise that I won't comment on it."

Hermione hoped he meant that, and waited a few minutes until she felt relaxed enough to proceed.

"Just try not to think about a particular moment, and try not to resist me," Snape coaxed, not understanding the double meaning of his words or the effect he was actually having on her.

Hermione nodded, letting him know she was ready for him to enter her mind. A moment passed, and then she could feel a fuzzy sensation, and then saw her memories and thoughts splayed out before her in her mind's eye.

The first and foremost topic in her mind was Samantha, which came as no surprise to either of them. What did surprise Hermione was that she was now reliving the day she'd given birth. Hermione watched with wincing eyes as she cried out in pain and frustration, and then finally relief as her baby girl was born. They both took in her exhausted appearance, Hermione wincing at the sight of her hair that she had shaved to allow it to grow back properly. She noticed Snape shifting uncomfortably but didn't break eye contact with him, simply waited for him to move on to the next memory. If he stayed on track with Samantha, maybe he wouldn't delve into the fact that she had realized her feelings for him.

Just like that, the scene changed and they were brought back to the memory of Snape hauling her into the empty closet to calm her down after her mother had shown up. She saw herself invading his personal space out of anger, and before the memory could reveal anything more personal, Hermione broke contact.

Snape felt himself push out of her mind, and blinked a few times to regain his bearings. "What happened?" he asked her.

"Sorry," Hermione spoke quietly. "I forgot to not look away. I had a ... kink in my neck." She really hoped she wasn't as bad of a liar as she thought she was, because not even she believed that.

Snape nodded, narrowing his eyes. "Are you okay to continue?"

Hermione nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

He pressed himself back into her mind once more, staring into her honey-brown eyes as he worked through the memories. He'd gathered that there was something about the last memory that she hadn't wanted him to see, so he fought against himself to respect her privacy and moved on.

The next moment they shared was to do with Samantha again. She was standing on short, shaky legs, and Hermione was standing behind her with her arms stretched out, prepared to catch her if she fell. Samantha - who appeared to be a little under a year old by the fact that she was shorter, a bit pudgy, and had less hair than she did now - moved her right foot forwards with great effort and took an unsteady step forwards. Hermione beamed down at her daughter, working hard to contain her squeal of joy, but unable to keep the bright smile off of her face.

Snape noticed that Hermione's hair was a bit longer here than it had been in the memory of her giving birth, and for some reason he found that oddly comforting. As Samantha grew, the evidence of what had happened to her mother began to fade.

"Samantha's first steps," Hermione explained without breaking eye contact.

Severus forced himself to pay attention, pushing past the memory to try and get closer to what they'd come for. He seemed to be going on the right track, and Hermione was thankful for that, though she forced herself to focus on the memory they were viewing, instead of the moments she didn't want him to see.

Hermione was roughly 36 weeks pregnant and her stomach was sufficiently enlarged. She waddled around the Burrow with a pad of paper and a quill in her hands, writing words down only to scratch them out moments later.

"Still haven't decided on a name yet?" Arthur Weasley asked as he walked into the room and Hermione smiled sadly.

"Not yet," Hermione admitted. "Nothing seems right."

The man who thought of her as his own daughter sat down on the couch in the living room, pulling the bits of clothing that were scattered about off of it and patting the seat next to him for her to sit down. With some effort and creative bending Hermione sat so that she was comfortable, laying a protecting hand over her enlarged stomach. She could feel her child shifting about inside of her.

"You know, when Molly was pregnant with Bill, we had the hardest time deciding on a name for him," he told her. "Molly wanted to name him after me, and call him Artie, but I of course knew there was bound to be some confusion when she got mad at either of us, and decided to call out 'Arthur Weasley!' So, after a few months of argument, we finally decided on William. We wanted him to have a strong name, but a name that had some leeway for a nickname ... you know, in case he wanted to go by Will, or Liam, or Billy ..."

Hermione and Arthur shared a chuckle at the idea of calling Bill Weasley 'Billy'.

"The point I'm trying to make dear, is that while a name should be important to you, and should be a strong name ... it doesn't have to be so serious. Find a name that works well no matter if the child is a boy or a girl, and one that you will enjoy ... try not to let it stress you out too much."

Hermione nodded, rubbing her belly absentmindedly. At that moment, she almost wished she had decided to know the sex of the baby before he/she was born, so she could eliminate one half of the possible names. "Thank you, Mr Weasley. That helps."

He nodded, pulling a strand of hair out of her face before he stood up. "Remember, it's Arthur now," he told her. "You're a part of this family now."

Hermione nodded, smiling in gratitude as the older man left. She leaned back on the couch, placing the pad of paper on her stomach as she tried to think of a name that was suitable for a boy or a girl. "Just one name," Hermione spoke to the air around her, tapping her quill against the paper.

The baby inside of her kicked extra-hard and Hermione reacted without thinking. "Ow, Sam!" she whined in pain, rubbing her stomach. After a moment she realized what she had said and looked down at her stomach. "Sam ... Samuel?" It was a good, strong name for a boy, and she smiled when she realized it could work for a girl as well. "Samantha ... my little Sammy."

The memory grew cloudy as Snape moved on, feeling a little uncomfortable at witnessing so many of her personal memories, but they had both known that would happen. He had simply figured she would be the only uncomfortable one.

He forced himself past the memory of her parents throwing her out, getting closer and closer to the memory of the worst night of her life.

Hermione braced herself when she saw the familiar streets and realized he had finally reached the night he was looking for. She forced herself to remain as calm as possible as he reached for one of the vials on the table without breaking eye contact with her.

This was it.

* * *

_End of chapter thirteen. _

_Again, sorry for the long wait, I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker. _

_I hope you guys are still liking this story, I known I am. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	14. Chapter 14

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Fourteen._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Okay, I'm not really sure what happened with the text in the last chapter ... it's probably 'cause I copied and pasted from my email when I sent over the other stuff from another computer. Grr ... hopefully it wasn't too confusing. _

_Anyway, here's chapter fourteen. I hope you guys like it, I know I'll love writing it. _

_Thanks for the great reviews on my last chapter! _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Snape spoke softly as he gripped the vial in his left hand, holding his wand with his right. "Remain still, and don't break eye contact. If I lose the memory, we'll have to start all over."

Hermione knew it would be hard, but she made her eyes remain glued to his. This was monumentally worse than when he'd seen it before ... she'd been drunk then, and he'd only seen a little of what they'd done to her.

They both watched inside of her mind as her younger self walked down the sidewalk, smiling and thinking about her birthday party, not a care in the world. Her mind was busy thinking about unimportant things, and so she didn't hear anyone else on the seemingly empty streets while she walked by herself. Without warning, she heard the incantation, "petrificus totalus", and she felt her body freeze as still as a statue, unable to stop herself from falling to the ground.

Her mind raced, finding herself wising that she'd accepted Ron's offer to walk her home. She wanted to scream, but couldn't open her mouth, or make her vocal chords so much as twitch. She tried to use wandless magic to reverse the spell, but a voice penetrated her thoughts, speaking inside of her mind, "You don't want to call for help. You will not reverse the spell." Hermione felt as though she shouldn't be listening to the strange voice, but she couldn't help herself, and simply lay where she was, waiting for something to happen and filled with dread.

One of the men levitated her into a dark alley, lowering her to the ground with no consideration for her body, dropping her the last several inches with a sneer on his ugly face.

The first man began to undress her, while the other whispered a spell that she couldn't make out, and Hermione felt a tingling behind her eyes that was foreign to her, and the sensations began drifting through her entire head until everything was momentarily cloudy. She almost felt seasick. The man who'd spoken the spell leaned towards her, his hazel eyes gleaming with evil and malice.

Outside of the memory, Hermione could feel Snape shifting in his seat, but neither of them broke contact. She figured this was the man he'd seen at Azkaban ... the one not in the cell.

"When this is over Mudblood, you won't be able to tell anyone who did this to you," the man spoke in her memory, and Hermione forced herself to remain calm and hold onto the memory so Snape could extract it. "Now be a good little muggle-born, and open your legs."

As he pried her legs apart, Hermione felt one of her toes break, but she didn't have to stifle the cry. It didn't come. Tears leaked out of her terrified eyes from the pain and humiliation while her body turned deep red. She tried over and over to release herself from the body-bind, but the men just laughed while they punched and kicked her body, invading her and literally tearing into her.

Hermione felt a real tear leak out of her eyes while she and Snape watched the men rape and beat her for their perverse enjoyment, but she forced herself to stare into Snape's eyes, knowing there was no way she'd be able to relive this again. It was now or nothing, and she wanted it done.

She could hear Snape growling with anger while he watched the men tear and cut at her hair, slicing random places in her skin to torment and torture her. The cuts weren't deep enough to kill her, and hadn't left visible scars, but they'd been painful, and the inability to scream out had almost been worse.

The memory lasted as long as the event, and it was another twenty-seven minutes before Snape pulled out of her mind. The vial had enlarged itself to accommodate the memory, and Snape looked away from her as he put a stopper in to seal the container.

Hermione discretely wiped at her eyes while Snape tucked the vial into his robes along with the spare, taking his time to allow her a moment to compose herself. Hermione stood up from the couch, straightening out her clothes and steadying her breath. "Is that all you need?" she spoke unevenly, her voice wavering.

Snape nodded, standing up as well. "This should suffice. I will bring the memory to Magical Law Enforcement office and have an auror of my choosing arrest him. There should be no need for you to be involved any more than you have to, unless they call you in for the trial."

Hermione nodded, looking away. "Okay ... good."

Snape grabbed his robes off the table by the couch, sliding them on and making sure the vial was secured. He had already placed an unbreakable spell on the glass, so he wasn't too worried, but he wanted to be sure.

Feeling as though this were a moment where she should be comforted in some way, Snape reached his hand towards her shoulder. "Are you -"

Hermione pulled away from him, a flash of fear in her eyes.

Snape retracted his hand immediately. "I apologize," he told her quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Hermione glanced up at the near-hurt expression on his face and felt bad despite the other hundred emotions that were currently running through her. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just shaken up."

Snape shook his head. "It's customary for a victim of sexual assault to fear the members of the opposite sex ... it's only natural that you fear me."

Hermione shook her head, stepping towards him. "I'm not afraid of you ... I trust you," she informed him, placing a shaking hand on his arm. "I'm just ... I just need to be alone now."

Snape nodded, glancing down at the hand on his arm. Very few people had stated that they trusted him, and none of them had looked at him like she was looking at him now. "Very well," he managed to say before stepping away. "I shall inform you of any important happenings."

Hermione nodded, working to contain her emotions as Snape moved towards the exit. Just before he walked out the door, Hermione choked out the words, "Thank you," before stepping into her room and closing the door.

Snape faltered at the door, wanting to comfort her but not knowing how. He closed the front door behind him when he heard her sobs coming from her bedroom, moving swiftly down the corridor and to his rooms to prepare himself for his trip to Azkaban.

* * *

It was the day before Halloween when a date for the trial had finally been decided. It would begin November 3rd, and would last roughly two weeks. Normal proceedings were never dealt with this quickly, but Hermione's circumstances were special, and Snape asserted his insistence in the matter ... Hermione had wanted it done and over with, and he made sure she got what she wanted.

He hadn't been able to keep it out of the papers, but he had managed to keep out the part about Samantha being a product of the assault. The public now knew that the only female member of the Goldren Trio had been assaulted several years ago, but they didn't know anything about Samantha, and Hermione had expressed her gratitude towards Snape for that.

Hermione's friends had questioned her during their holiday dinner at the Burrow, wanting to know why Snape had played a part in finally nailing the men who'd hurt her.

"Why didn't you tell us what was going on?" the now five-month pregnant Ginny asked her.

Hermione shrugged as she helped clear away the stuff on the table. Fred and George were entertaining Samantha in the yard, leaving Hermione vulnerable to being mercilessly interrogated. "I wasn't sure any of it was going to pan out ... I didn't want to get my own hopes up, never mind yours."

Ron stepped forward, taking the plate away from Hermione as though she were overworking herself. "If I'd known about the Legilimency thing, I would have helped you," he professed.

Harry and Ginny rolled their eyes behind Ron's back, but Hermione didn't miss the actions. "I know, Ronald. I'm sure you would have."

Hermione answered question after question from the majority of the Weasleys until finally she couldn't take it any more and stepped outside for air. She loved them, they were the best family she knew, but they were exhausting. George was flying around on a brooms with Samantha secured on the seat in front of him, and Hermione's heart flopped every time George turned or dipped the broom. She trusted him completely, but it didn't stop her from worrying.

"Has the inquisition ended?" Fred asked her, stepping up beside her while they watched the other two flying.

"No, I just called a time-out," Hermione told him. "She looks like she's having the time of her life."

"Naturally," Fred replied smoothly. "She is with her favorite uncles."

Hermione grinned, remembering when Samantha had whispered in Fred's ear that he and George were her favorites. They had amazed her by keeping it to themselves well enough.

"Well, my only question is: are you okay?"

Hermione thought over everything that had happened over the last few months, even years. "Yeah, I think I am," she told him. "A part of me would rather just put it all behind me and move on, but they deserve to be punished. If I can finish this whole thing without Samantha finding out, everything will be perfect."

Fred nodded, throwing an arm around her shoulder and giving her a comforting squeeze. "You'll be fine."

* * *

Hermione had finally made concrete plans for her and Samantha to go and see her parents. Hermione was taking Samantha trick-or-treating in her old neighborhood, and planned on ending the night at her parents' house to introduce them to her daughter. She hadn't planned on Snape joining them, though. Samantha had asked Snape out of nowhere while they were eating supper a week ago, and he had surprisingly agreed. Hermione figured it was because she would be in roughly the same area as she had been when her attack had happened, and he felt responsible to protect her now that the trial was public knowledge.

Samantha had informed him in no uncertain terms that he was to dress up as something different, and Hermione had admired Snape's restraint - you know, for not telling her to stuff it. Hermione had never met anyone who could manipulate the bat of the dungeons like her daughter could.

Samantha had almost been disappointed when Snape had knocked on their door at precisely five o'clock to pick them up, and he had not been wearing some extravagant costume, but instead a pair of dark muggle jeans and a black shirt with a long, black jacket over top. Snape had explained to Samantha that he never went without his robes when he was going outside, but he made an exception for her, so Samantha had forgiven him quickly, her face lit up with glee.

Hermione herself wore a long, pale-blue dress that Ginny had helped her pick out, and had attached fake wings to the back and found a tiara to place over her curls.

"Doesn't Mummy look like a fairy princess?" Samantha asked Snape while they walked along the streets, her kitten costume's tail whacking repeatedly into his legs.

Snape paused a moment before answering, "Yes, a bit, I suppose."

Samantha hopped along the sidewalk with them, grabbing onto Snape's hand when he was least expecting it, and then running up to the next house they came across.

About a half-hour into the evening he turned to Hermione and said, "What is the point of going to strangers' houses and begging for candy?"

Hermione chuckled at the way he'd asked. "It's a muggle tradition. It's just something fun for kids to do with their parents. They get to dress up and stay up late, and then their parents get to eat all the candy that "not good for them"," she explained.

Snape nodded. "I see."

Hermione cocked her head at him. "Really?"

Snape pursed his lips. "No."

Samantha returned from the last house and they continued through the neighborhood. "When are we going to see your mummy and daddy, Mummy?" Samantha asked for the third time.

Hermione answered, "Just as soon as we're done with all these houses, Sweetie."

Samantha nodded, skipping ahead and pulling the other two along with her.

"Thanks again for coming with us," Hermione said to Snape. "I'm sure you had other plans ..."

Snape shrugged. "Nothing too pressing. Besides, I'm the one who convinced you to -" he glanced down at Samantha who seemed to be off in her own world, " put yourself in the spotlight. It's only right that I ensure your protection."

Hermione nodded. "Well ... thanks."

"Don't mention it," he replied.

* * *

Hermione took what she hoped was a subtle deep breath before knocking on the front door of her parents' house. The three of them waited patiently for the door to be answered, and they didn't have to wait long.

Jean Granger pulled the door open to see two familiar faces, and one tiny one she'd never seen before, but would know anywhere.

"Hi, Mom," Hermione greeted, waiting for them to be invited in.

Jean was speechless, but she opened the door to allow them entrance into their home. Hermione knew her mother had been bound to be emotional, but she hoped she wouldn't freak her daughter out.

"Mrs Granger," Snape greeted politely as she closed the door behind him.

Jean snapped herself back into reality, looking at the three of them. "Welcome," she stated. "You can take your coats off and put them in the closet. Supper will be ready in a few minutes."

Hermione nodded, helping her daughter out of her costume and handing her wrap to Snape to put in the closet with his jacket.

"This is a big house, Mummy," Samantha commented, looking around at her new surroundings.

"Thank you," Jean Granger spoke, looking at the little girl with shining eyes.

Samantha looked from her mother to the other woman and then tugged on Snape's arm. "Will you come with me, Severus?" Samantha asked, not wanting to follow the other woman into the sitting room by herself.

Snape looked at Hermione for confirmation before nodding. "Of course, Samantha."

Hermione watched the two of them explore the main floor of the house, smiling at the sight.

Jean looked at her daughter with surprise in her eyes. "You didn't mention there was something going on there," her mother stated.

Hermione glanced over at her. "What?"

Jean motioned to Snape as he introduced himself to Hermione's father, shaking his hand and placing a reassuring hand on Samantha's shoulder as she met her grandfather. "I must admit, they do look adorable."

Hermione smiled. "I'm as surprised as you."

Jean furrowed her brow. "How do you mean?"

Hermione explained further, "Well, he was always so dour when I was in school. But he's completely different around Samantha. It's nice."

Her mother smiled at her daughter's innocence. "I was referring to the 'something' being you and him. I didn't know there was something there."

Hermione whipped her head back to look at her mother. "What! No," she whispered. "He's just a friend ... a colleague."

Jean Granger nodded her head in false belief. "Sure. That's why he's spending the evening with you and your daughter instead of doing something else for the holiday."

Hermione blushed just as Snape looked back over at them, and she felt her heart jump slightly. _This is going to be a long evening. _

* * *

_End of chapter fourteen. _

_I hope you guys liked it, I know I loved writing it. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	15. Chapter 15

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Fifteen._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Wow, thanks for the speedy reviews, guys! _

_I noticed that a fair number of you had questions about Hermione's interaction with her parents in the last chapter, and I'm sooo happy you guys brought that up. I purposefully had it so that everything seemed like all was well, and everything would work out, so that I could write __this__ chapter. I hope you guys like it, I know I'm gonna love writing it! _

_Anyway, again, I'm happy you guys are still into this story, I'll try to get the chapters up as fast as possible, I'm embracing the fact that I'm back in my Harry Potter phase!_

_Let's get on with the story now, shall we?_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Hermione's parents sat at either end of the long table, leaving Hermione sitting across from Snape with Samantha beside her. Her parents had bought a booster seat for the girl to sit on, something that pleased Hermione.

_They're trying_, Hermione thought, glancing around the table. Her gaze landed on Snape, who ate slowly and precisely, his back straight and seemingly on-edge.

"So Hermione, how are you enjoying being a teacher?" her mother asked her.

It was beyond weird to be having small talk with her parents again, but she reminded herself that she had wanted Samantha to meet her grandparents, and put a smile on her face. "Quite well," she answered. "It's everything I thought it would be." She saw Snape grin slightly, but didn't comment on it.

"So, your class ... you essentially teach 'your kind' about normal people?" her father asked her casually.

Snape's head turned at this, eyeing the man steadily.

"Paul!" Hermione's other reprimanded in a hushed voice.

Hermione sighed, beginning to doubt that the evening was going to be as successful as she'd hoped. Perhaps that novelty of having a granddaughter had worn off, and he was back to his old ways.

"Normal people?" Samantha repeated, looking at the man who wanted her to call him 'Papa'.

Before Hermione could intervene, Paul spoke, "I just meant that people like me and your grandmother are 'normal', Sugar-Pie. But people like your mum and your friend Mr Snape are not."

Hermione opened her mouth to request the evening be cut short, but her father continued. "You could still be normal, Samantha, if you tried. You could have a normal life with us."

Hermione and Snape stood up at the same time, bumping the table slightly. Hermione placed her hand on Samantha's shoulder. "That's enough," she stated. "We're leaving."

Snape glared at her father while Hermione unbuckled Samantha from the booster seat.

_I should have known he wouldn't change. I can't believe I put Samantha through this,_ Hermione berated herself.

"Don't you look down your nose at me, you freak!" Paul Granger snapped at Snape, standing up from his own seat while his wife hung her head down in defeat.

Samantha frowned at the older man calling her Severus a freak.

Snape restrained himself from striking the man in front of the child, turning to face Hermione. "Shall I grab the items from the closet?"

Hermione nodded but her father raised his fisted hand towards Snape. "What, did you forget your little stick at home, you pathetic freak?" Paul goaded.

Snape didn't get a chance to respond as the cup of tea that had previously been sitting undisturbed on the table in front of Paul's seat floated up from the table and dumped itself over the man's head.

Paul looked around in surprise, sputtering and attempting to get the stinging liquid out of his eyes.

Snape glanced over at Hermione with questioning - and slightly humored - eyes, but she shook her head, letting him know it hadn't been her. She had been close to asking him if he'd done it.

More cups full of tea rose from the table and launched themselves as Hermione's father, and Hermione peered down at the only other magical person in the room. Samantha was glaring furiously at Paul Granger, mad that he'd been so mean to Severus. The table began to shake as Samantha's anger grew.

Hermione pulled her daughter out of the chair, trying to break her focus before someone got hurt.

"Samantha, Sweetie, it's ok. Calm down," Hermione urged.

Snape watched the little girl with slightly widened eyes, surprised at her power.

Samantha ignored her mother's pleas, wanting to hurt the mean man. "My Severus is not a freak!" she declared, and a second later the food and plates began to rise from the table, intent on bombarding Mr Granger.

Jean panicked, worried for her husband. "Samantha, honey, he didn't mean it! He's sorry!" she promised, not believing the own words that were coming out of her mouth, but wanting the incident to stop.

Samantha pressed her lips together in an angry pout, not believing the older woman. The items in the air began to hurl themselves at Paul, so Hermione leaned across the table and handed Samantha to Snape, whose face was filled with unconcealed shock and wonder.

"Take her to my rooms," she requested, and a second later the two were gone.

Plates, bowls and casserole dishes fell out of the air, some breaking while other splattered their food about as they settled back into their spots.

Her mother looked defeated while her father looked furious, so Hermione opted not to repair the damage and simply turned to head for the front door.

"Don't you walk away from me, witch!" he roared, and Hermione snapped, whipping around and pulling out her wand, which had been hidden under her dress, pointing it at his heart while she walked towards him.

"By the time I'm done with you, you're gonna wish I had just walked away!" she retorted scathingly, debating whether or not she could actually use magic on him - the idea seemed appealing enough. "You not only lied to me, but you tried to corrupt my daughter ... I should hex you where you stand!"

His eyes portrayed his fear, and Hermione let him sweat another moment before she continued. "I, however, am not the monster that you are. Take a good look, _Dad_, 'cause you will never see me again, and you certainly won't see Samantha. Goodbye." With a last disgusted look at her mother, Hermione turned, walking towards the front closet to gather their things.

Jean Granger followed her, sniffling as she went. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I didn't know -"

"I don't believe you for a second," Hermione interrupted, not interested in falling for more lies. "I should have trusted my gut, but I didn't, and my daughter is the one who suffered. There is nothing you can say to make that better."

Jean started to sob, but Hermione ignored her. "Hermione, please! I didn't know he was going to do that! I thought we were going to have a nice evening all together! I wanted to see Samantha so badly, I didn't even think he would try to spoil it like this!"

Hermione wanted to believe her, but the previous events left her more than doubtful, so she shook her head. "Even if that's true, I can't take that chance. I can't trust you, Mum, not around my kid." She grabbed everything out of the closet, tugging on Snape's jacket without thinking and tucking her wrap into one of the pockets, holding Samantha's costume and candy in her free hand while she held her wand in the other.

Hermione began to apparate but her mother thrust her arms around her, sobbing into her shoulder. "I'm sorry!" she cried, holding Hermione tightly.

Hermione didn't push her off, but she didn't hug her back either. She wanted to put the whole night behind her and get back to her daughter. "Look, I have to go," she said aloud, and her mother finally pulled back.

"Please, just ... give me a chance to fix things," she asked. "It doesn't have to be right away."

Hermione looked away, fiddling with the items in her hands. "I'll think about it."

Her mother nodded, and Hermione glared at the wall, imagining her father wiping the food and drink off of him and tried not to growl.

"Goodbye," she said finally and turned, apparating away.

* * *

Hermione had apparated to the grounds just outside the apparating barrier to Hogwarts and speed-walked towards the school. She wished that she'd hadn't forced Samantha on Snape, but it was the only thing she could think of to get her daughter out of the situation. Now she hurried along the grass to the front doors, imagining the horror that Samantha must be putting Snape through.

It seemed like hours before she finally got into the school and hurried to her rooms, but when she finally pushed through the door, only twenty minutes had passed. She didn't hear any yelling, or anything smashing about, so she figured Samantha must have calmed down. Hermione set the bag of candy and the kitten costume down on the kitchen table, tucking her wand back into her dress before heading for Samantha's room.

"Sammy," she whispered, looking into the room, but it was dark. She proceeded to take a step into the room, but heard a voice from the living room behind her.

"In here, Miss Granger," Snape spoke in a hushed voice, and Hermione turned to see the two of them on the couch, Samantha asleep again his chest.

She forced her mouth together to keep herself from "aww-ing" at the cuteness of it ... something told her Snape would take that badly.

"How is she?" Hermione asked, moving to the couch and sitting next to him.

Snape attempted to pass her sleeping daughter over to her, but every time he moved she only clutched to him tighter. "I believe she is okay," Snape commented uncomfortably, not used to having someone cling to him so. "She fell asleep a few minutes ago."

Hermione nodded, running a hand through her daughter's hair while she slept.

"She is quite powerful," Snape observed, looking over at Hermione.

She nodded in agreement. "I'll say."

"Is that the first time she's used wandless magic?" he asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head, realizing she hadn't told him about Samantha levitating the stick she'd tossed back to the giant squid. "No, actually, she was playing catch with the giant squid a couple months ago, and the stick went too far away from her, so she just levitated it and brought it back."

Snape raised his eyebrows, impressed. He was, however, ever so slightly miffed that she hadn't told him about it before. _Oh, why are you upset? It's not as though you're ... don't go there. Musn't tell her what the girl asked me before she arrived._ "Well, I should probably get going," Snape told her. "It's late, and I'm sure you want to get her to bed."

Hermione nodded, feeling a little sad that he suddenly decided to leave. "Of course," she replied, standing up with him and attempting to take Samantha.

The little girl mumbled something incoherent into Snape's chest, but Hermione couldn't make it out. Snape, however, understood it much clearer and froze up momentarily. Before Hermione could ask him what was wrong he moved into Samantha's room, placing her on the bed. She relaxed somewhat easier, and Snape pulled back quickly, leaving room for Hermione to tuck her in.

Just as he was about to leave Hermione realized she was wearing his jacket and blushed a little as she called him back. "Here you go," she spoke quietly, removing the garment. "I almost forgot."

Snape watched her remove the jacket, swallowing discretely and taking it when she held it out for him. "Thank you," he replied in barely a whisper and then turned to leave.

Hermione wondered at his behavior but didn't say anything, hearing him shut the front door behind him and turned her attention to her snoring daughter.

Marching quickly through the corridor to his rooms, Snape repeated internally the five words the little girl had said to him before she had fallen asleep against his chest: "Will you be my Daddy?"

* * *

_End of chapter fifteen. _

_A bit short, but that seemed like a good place to end the chapter. _

_What did you guys think? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	16. Chapter 16

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Sixteen._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the great reviews, guys! I'm happy you're still enjoying this story!_

_I'm glad you guys liked the "will you be my daddy" moment, I absolutely loved writing it! _

_I don't know how many more chapters this fic will be ... I almost don't want to end it. _

_Anywhoo ... this chapter has the conclusion to the trial in it ... I wanted to drag it out more, but I figured they already caught the guy, and I didn't want to add a bunch of dramatic scenes to do with that. Hopefully you guys won't hate it too much. _

_Alright, let's get on with it, shall we?_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

The trial had started two days ago now, and Hermione was more than ready for it to all be over. Hermione had pull with Kingsley Shacklebolt, and had requested that the trial be closed to the public. She had gotten her wish, and now waited patiently for it to be done and over with, or to be called as a witness. She didn't want to, but recognized that it might be necessary.

Her students and peers had thoughtfully restrained themselves for barraging her with questions, but Hermione thought that had more to do with Minerva decreeing it than their own common decency.

Snape had been weird around her for the last few days, and neither he nor Samantha would tell her why. She'd asked Samantha if something had happened when he'd brought her home, but the little girl would just smile and start to hum a song. Her daughter wasn't know for keeping secrets, however, so Hermione was confident that she'd get it out of her eventually.

On November 11th she was finally called in to testify.

The room where the trial was taking place was nothing like a muggle courtroom. It was more like the Great Hall, with a large seating area that stacked nearly to the roof - empty though it was - and opposite them was what appeared to be a council of ministry officials, with Kingsley Shacklebolt residing in the center. The men accused of the crime were in a cage-like area suspended in the middle of the room, and Hermione seat was slightly behind them, facing the officials.

She felt her heart speeding up as she saw the two men, recognizing them both from her memory and wanting to scream out "that's them!" but her voice wouldn't let her.

Kingsley greeted her in a professional way before he permitted the next stage of the trial to begin.

Hermione was asked to recite what she remembered of the event, and though she did to the best of her ability, she was monumentally relieved that the public was no permitted access, and that her friends had adhered to her request to not come. She had a hard enough time getting the words out now, she doubted she would have been able to do it with all those people watching.

When a ministry official asked her why she was suddenly able to present the memories when she hadn't been able to before, she told them truthfully that a colleague had suggested a method she hadn't considered before, and had helped her retrieve the memories. She explained to them with a hitch in her voice that one of the men had placed some sort of spell on her that had made it impossible for her to identify him, but the colleague had been able to point him out from seeing him in her mind.

To demonstrate, Kingsley asked her to identify the two men, even though all of the officials had seen the memory through a pensieve, and Hermione couldn't get out the words. She tried repeatedly to say, "that's them" and "they're the ones who attacked me", but she couldn't make the words come out.

The sane man above her smirked while the other giggled maniacally, and Hermione wanted nothing more than to hex them into oblivion, but she didn't need to. Kingsley sealed both of their mouths magically, and put forth a vote for a verdict.

Hermione was shocked the trial would be over so quickly, but a minute later everyone voted in favor of guilty, and both men were sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

Hermione was numb. Four years had passed without so much as a clue to who had assaulted her, and now it was all over ... they were imprisoned, they would be paying for their crimes, and as Severus had said: they wouldn't be able to do it to anyone else ever again. She wished she could feel happy or relieved or triumphant, but all she felt was numb.

She had to tell someone about what had happened, and the first person that jumped into her mind was Snape, but he'd been weird around her lately, and she didn't want to bother him right away. Harry and Ginny were watching Samantha while she was at the trial, so she didn't want to go there right away and risk her daughter finding out something. Finally she decided on going to the Burrow. Molly Weasley was home and Arthur would soon be, and she knew they would want to hear the news.

She apparated to their home outside Ottery St. Catchpole, walking in the front door and calling out for Molly.

"Hermione, dear! Did I know you were coming?" Molly asked her while she magically cleaned the kitchen and shooed several chickens out the front door.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I just wanted to stop by after the trial."

Molly nodded sadly. "Oh, deary ... I'm sure it will all be over with soon, and you can get back to your life, and those dreadful men will be behind bars."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well, actually, that's why I'm here ... it's all over."

Molly looked up at her, closing the door. "What, the trial?"

Hermione nodded. "They were found guilty."

Molly cried out with relief, throwing her arms around Hermione's slender form. "Oh, thank goodness! Oh, you must be so relieved!"

Hermione hugged her back slowly. "I'm not really ... I don't think it's really hit me yet, you know?"

Molly nodded, pulling back and holding Hermione at arm's length. "Well, I've got just the thing for that. Let's have a spot of tea, shall we?"

* * *

Hermione picked Samantha up later that night, still sort of dazed from the day's events. She promised Harry and Ginny she'd fill them in when Samantha wasn't there and flooed back to her rooms.

She sang her daughter to sleep that night, having tucked the music box away when she'd come home from her parents' house for the last time. Samantha snored peacefully in her bed while Hermione watched her sleep, sitting in the rocking chair and thinking over the last few months. It was really all over, and the one person she really had to thank was Severus Snape. The thought alone made her realize how much they had both changed since her school days.

It was just after ten o'clock when she heard a knock on the door and left Samantha's room quietly to open it, shutting her daughter's door almost all the way so whoever was at the door wouldn't disturb her.

It didn't entirely surprise her that it was Snape outside her door. She managed a small smile in greeting, holding the door open. He walked through, holding up a bottle of wine.

"I know you don't drink around your daughter, but I thought some sort of gift was appropriate," he told her, handing her to bottle.

Hermione nodded. "Thanks. I'm sure one glass wouldn't hurt."

Snape pulled glasses out of the cupboard, pouring them each a drink and then setting the bottle aside. "To the justice system," Snape stated half-heartedly, managing to contain his sarcastic smirk for a whole three seconds.

Hermione rolled her eyes, raising her glass to his. "To not being able to mind your own business."

Snape gazed at her for a moment before nodding and clinking their glasses together, drinking a mouthful and putting the glass down.

Hermione drank hers slowly, searching for something to say.

"You don't seem pleased," Snape observed.

Hermione shrugged, moving into the living room. "I'm just waiting for it all to set in. I'm sure I'll be elated tomorrow."

Snape doubted the truth to that statement as he sat next to her, wondering why he was suddenly spending so much time in her rooms instead of his own. "It all seems rather anti-climactic?" he guessed.

Hermione leaned her head back against the couch. "Maybe. I mean, maybe I thought it would take so much more than a pensieve to catch the men responsible ... I guess I just resigned myself to the fact that they were never going to get caught, and now that they have, I don't really know how to feel, or act."

Snape nodded in understanding, glancing over at Samantha's door. "How has she ... er, been?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, eyeing him with questioning eyes. "What happened after I asked you to bring her here?" Hermione asked him, but just then the fireplace lit up and Ron Weasley stepped through.

"Hermione, are you -?" he trailed off as he saw the two of them sitting on the couch. "What's he doing here?"

Hermione sighed. "Don't be rude, Ronald," she told him. "What are you doing here?"

Ron glanced between the two of them suspiciously before he replied, "Harry told me about the results of the trial, I thought I'd come over and we could celebrate." He glanced down at the empty wine glass in Hermione's hand. "Although I see you already are."

Hermione shifted in her seat, looking over at the scowling professor. "Severus was just checking in on me, Ronald."

The room went silent as everyone realized that she had just called him by his first name. She hoped neither of them would say anything, but Ron spoke up.

"Oh, so it's _Severus_ now?" he repeated.

Snape opened his mouth to speak but Hermione beat him to it. "Ron, Samantha is asleep, please keep your voice down."

Ron continued, "Can't you see what he's doing, Hermione? He's playing you. Using Samantha to get close to you. And you're falling for it!"

Snape stood from the couch, moving towards the shorter redhead. "Miss Granger has asked you to keep your voice down, if you cannot acquiesce to that simple request, I will silence you myself. Do not speak about things you clearly know nothing about."

Hermione stood and walked to the fireplace, grabbing the dish of Floo Powder. "I think it's best that you leave," she told Ron, holding out the dish.

Ron glared at Snape but did as Hermione asked, intent on coming back the next day to make her see reason.

Hermione sighed, putting the dish back above the fireplace. "Sorry about that," she told the man left in the room. "He gets ahead of himself sometimes."

Snape's nose twitched in annoyance. "That would be an understatement."

Hermione searched for something to say, forgetting her unanswered question.

"Perhaps I should leave," he offered, sensing her discomfort.

Before she could answer something bumped into Snape's legs, bending his knees forward and forcing him to step forwards to compensate and not fall over. His arms shot out to prevent himself from landing on Hermione and he ended up boxing her in, pressing her back against the fireplace. Crookshanks wandered out of the room after bumping into Snape, leaving the two standing against each other, their eyes locked and their breathing halted.

Hermione's right hand shot up of its own accord, gripping Snape's arm from the outside as she looked up at him. She didn't know what to say, and the first thing that came to her mind blurted out of her mouth. "I'm sorry if you didn't want me to call you Severus."

Snape blinked, looking down at her as though seeing her for the first time. "It's quite alright, Miss Granger," he stated smoothly.

Feeling a little braver, Hermione spoke, "Call me Hermione." Her heart was pounding an uneven beat as he tilted his head, looking at her curiously.

"Very well," he replied softly, and it was entirely possible that it was his imagination, but her head felt as though it were closer. "Hermione."

Hermione's tongue darted out to wet her lips and his eyes glued themselves to her mouth as he watched the action, feeling his blood pooling in a certain part of his body.

"Mummy," a voice called from beside them and Hermione looked past Snape's arm to see her daughter coming out of her room, rubbing her eyes. "I'm thirsty."

Snape dropped his arms quickly, straightening his back.

Samantha smiled sleepily when she saw that Severus was there. "Oh, hi," she greeted with a yawn.

Hermione composed herself, brushing phantom lint off of her pants. "Hang on, Sweetie, I'll bring you some water." She moved into the kitchen, shaking the fogginess out of her head and got a cup out of the cupboard, pouring her daughter a drink. When she returned Samantha was whispering something in Snape's ear while he crouched down next to her.

Hermione walked over. "What are you two whispering about?" she asked her daughter who took the cup to cover her smiling face.

Snape stood back up with a strained look on his face, clearly trying to hide his discomfort. "I should be going. Goodnight, Miss Samantha."

He began to walk away but Hermione called him back. "Could you just wait a moment?" His feet froze despite his brain's orders to march out of the room.

Hermione waited until Samantha finished her water then sent her back to bed, tucking her in and closing the door softly behind her. She found Severus waiting by the front door and drifted up behind him, moving into his line of sight. "I don't want to make you feel like you can't talk to my daughter, but I don't want there to be any secrets with her," Hermione told him. "So, I kind of need you to tell me what she was telling you."

Snape paused, looking away from her.

Hermione placed her hand on his arm again. "Okay, now I'm worried."

Snape shook his head. "It's nothing bad, I suppose. It's … your daughter is just a little confused, that's all."

"Okay," Hermione said slowly. "Confused about what?" There weren't many things that could make Snape so visibly nervous, and Hermione was now dying to know the cause of it.

"Samantha has ... made a request of me," Snape began, looking for the proper words.

"Oh, for goodness sakes, just spit it out!" Hermione said, unable to stand it any longer.

"She wants me to be her father," Snape told her abruptly.

Hermione was surprised, to say the least, and while she stood there frozen, Snape removed her hand from his arm and exited the room, closing the door behind him and moving down the corridor as swiftly as he could without running.

* * *

_End of chapter sixteen. _

_Hope you guys liked it, I know I loved writing it. _

_I know, I'm so cruel ... I keep dangling that kiss in front of you, and then taking it away! Don't worry, it shouldn't be TOO much longer. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	17. Chapter 17

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Seventeen._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the great reviews, guys! You rock! _

_As much as I'd love you, I doubt that I'll be able to get the next chapters up as speedily as I've been doing them ... but I will definitely try. _

_Well, I have a sneaking suspicion that you guys might like this chapter, but I'll wait and see. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!_

* * *

When Snape finally reached his own rooms he shut the door behind him, sealing it with several wards. Needing something stronger than wine in his system, he summoned his bottle of firewhiskey and sauntered into his own living room, sinking down onto his favorite armchair.

He took a large drink out of the glass he'd poured for himself, berating himself internally for having gone over to her rooms at all. She would surely keep her child far away from him now. Snape tried to lie to himself, but he couldn't deny that he tiny, little witch had gotten under his skin ... they both had.

Another gulp of Firewhiskey, and Snape mulled over his life since Hermione Granger had come back to Hogwarts.

When he had first seen her standing alone outside Hagrid's hut, his first thought had admittedly been, '_at least I won't be bored anymore'_. And he hadn't been. How could he be? _There isn't a single thing about that woman that's boring._

Next he thought about the insatiable curiously that had gripped him when he'd encountered the young and colorful Samantha Granger. That one, tiny child had begun to change his life, and he hadn't even noticed. He answered every question she asked him without sarcasm or derision, and what was more, he seemed to be incapable of saying "no" to her.

Severus had not answered only one question she had asked him thus far, and it had easily been the most important one.

_"Will you be my Daddy?" _she had asked him so casually, her tired face full of innocence. He hadn't been able to answer her, and instead had watched her fall asleep against his chest while his heart pounded furiously inside of him.

Severus poured himself another glass while he thought of that night, not letting himself admit - even to himself - that despite the dinner dramatics, it had been one of his best Halloweens.

He thought of everything he'd seen inside of Hermione's mind, all of the memories - good and bad. He remembered beating the man in his cell for information about Hermione's other attacker, and thought about how much he'd wanted to throw a few more punches when the other one had been arrested. He would have, too, but his logical side hadn't let him do anything to jeopardize the man's incarceration. He remembered Hermione's reaction to him telling her what he had discovered, and how she'd responded to his attempts to comfort her.

Severus looked down at his hand, remembering the sensation of her small hand grasping his while she rode through her panic-attack ... the feeling of her soft chin in his worn fingers when he turned her face to look at him. He remembered the look on her face as they had crouched together on the carpeted floor of his living room, deciding together that they would do whatever it took to capture the men who'd hurt her.

He remembered the feel of her against him when that cat of hers had launched him forwards, and he'd been inches away from her lips.

Hermione Granger had awakened something inside of him ... something that had been sleeping for a very long time.

* * *

Hermione knew she had to talk to Samantha, but she had no idea where to start. She'd been worrying that something like this would happen, but had no idea how to deal with it. She decided to take her for a walk after breakfast the Saturday morning after Severus had left her rooms - he'd been avoiding her since she had found out what Samantha had asked of him.

Hermione took her daughter for a walk around the castle grounds, in case any of the students heard what was discussing with her. The last thing Severus would want was students knowing his personal business.

Once they reached one of the large trees by the lake Hermione sat down, patting her lap for Samantha to sit down as well.

"So, Sn - Severus told me that you asked him a question," Hermione began, pulling her daughter's hair out of her eyes. "Can you tell me about it?"

Samantha giggled a little, looking away. "It's supposed to be a secret, Mummy."

Hermione turned her daughter so she could look into her eyes. "Well, we can share secrets, can't we?"

Samantha considered that for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

Hermione waited for her daughter to continue.

"I asked him if he would be my Daddy," Samantha disclosed, looking up at her mother with smiles in her eyes.

Hermione felt her heart flutter, but pushed it down. "And what did he say?"

Samantha shrugged. "He didn't say anything yet," she answered truthfully, looking sad for a moment before her face lit up again. "But he didn't say no!"

Hermione nodded, her heart going out to her daughter.

"I really like him, Mummy," Samantha confessed.

Hermione looked at her daughter softly, not having the heart to tell her that she didn't think Severus would want to be her father.

* * *

Severus didn't show up to any meals that day, or to breakfast the following morning. Hermione figured he was getting the house elves to deliver his meals, and that bothered her more than she cared to admit. She didn't want him to feel like he had to stay away from her.

She knew from her schedule that he had patrol that night, so she swapped shifts with Pomona, getting Dobby to watch over Samantha while she slept. Hermione made her way to the Astronomy Tower, knowing that would be one of his first stops.

She didn't have to wait long, but wished that she had, for she still didn't know what she was going to say to him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her when he saw her waiting for him.

Hermione slid down from the ledge where she sat, walking over to him as he turned to leave. "Well, this seemed to be the only way I could talk to you," she told him. "You've been avoiding me for days."

Severus looked away as he walked down the steps, trying to put distance between them but she kept up with him.

"Would you just stop and look at me?" Hermione requested, jogging forward once they reached the bottom of the steps so that she was in front of him and stood in his way.

"It's just easier for everyone this way," Severus spoke finally. "It's better if I stay away."

Hermione looked at him with confusion in her wide eyes. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not a nice person, Hermione. I'm not cut out to be Samantha's babysitter, never mind her father," he admitted, then kicked himself mentally for the confession.

Hermione regarded him softly. "You're not as horrible as you think. Samantha ... she loves you. Obviously you've got some niceness in you somewhere."

Snape rolled his eyes. "She's a child. She loves everyone."

After a moment's hesitation Hermione raised her hand to his face, cupping his stubbled cheek and making him look at her. "I've grown a little fond of you myself," she added. "And I'm no child."

Snape shook his head to the side a little but Hermione left her hand in place. "If you knew what you were saying -"

Hermione moved so that she was standing on the bottom step to the Astronomy Tower, standing beside him and at his eye level. "I know what I'm saying," she told him. "And I know what I'm doing."

Before he could react she pressed her lips against his, moving her hand slowly from his cheek to his neck and letting her fingers run through the bottom of his hair.

At first he couldn't make his body move, unwilling to believe that she was actually kissing him. For almost two whole seconds he couldn't believe it ... and then the dam broke and he brought his own arms up, wrapping one around her waist while the other reached out to gauge where the wall behind her was before pressing her back against it. Hermione gasped against his mouth and he hesitated a moment before he took it another step and teased her tongue with his own.

She gripped his neck in her hand, bringing the other one up press against his chest, feeling the taut muscles beneath the fabric of his clothes pulse under her hand. She could feel the cool of the stone on her back fighting with the heat emanating from his body, filling her body with a shivering warmth. She felt whole again ... she couldn't explain it, and she didn't want to analyze it; she just wanted to enjoy it.

Severus moved his free hand from the wall to her own neck, pulling her hair over her shoulder and tucking it behind her ear while his other hand slid up her back, their mouths never parting.

When his lower body pressed against hers Hermione gasped once more, breaking the kiss with panting breaths. Her heart was racing and her skin was on fire, but none of it was painful.

"I'm sorry," Severus breathed against her shoulder, where his head had dropped.

Hermione shook her head. "Don't be. I started it."

He slowly brought his head back up to look at her, taking in her flushed skin and her puffy lips. She looked beautiful.

"So, does this mean you'll stop avoiding me?" Hermione wondered a little playfully, trying to cover the fact that the kiss had left her breathless and a little shaky in the knees.

Severus then remembered why he'd been avoiding her in the first place, and he stood back, straightening himself out and looking down. "I'm no good for you," he told her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I think that's for me to decide."

He shook his head, stepping away from the steps. "I'm sorry."

Hermione watched him walk away, not understanding what had happened, her lips still tingling.

* * *

Harry was at work when Hermione stopped by, something she was supremely grateful for. She wasn't entirely sure Ginny would keep it to herself as it was, never mind if Harry had been there.

"You have to promise me that you won't tell Harry or Ron about this," Hermione clarified while Samantha napped in the guest room. "I'm serious."

Ginny nodded her head for the third time. "I got it. Super secret. Now will you just tell me already?"

Hermione took a deep breath, looking down before she spoke, "I kissed Snape." She waited for the explosion.

* * *

"Never once have you paid me a social visit, Snape, so excuse me for enjoying the moment," Remus teased the Potions Master while he drank his tea.

Severus glared daggers at him, but he had no one else to go to for advice, and the werewolf had promised he would keep his mouth shut, whatever it was.

"I ... kissed Hermione Granger."

* * *

Hermione hadn't heard anything from Ginny, and began to wonder if her friend had passed out from shock. Out of concern for her unborn child, Hermione looked up quickly only to see Ginny smiling at her with unsurprised eyes.

"Is that all?" Ginny asked her, barely containing her laughter.

"What do you mean, is that all? I kissed Severus Snape!" she repeated, not bothering to keep her volume in check,

"And ...?"

Hermione decided that her friend had gone mad. The pregnancy hormones had addled her brain.

* * *

"And you're telling me this because?" Remus asked him, his eyes full of humor.

Severus rolled his eyes at the werewolf, cursing his stupidity. "Clearly I've gone insane!"

Remus smiled. "Well, answer me this ... did she kiss you back?"

Severus paused, looking off the side.

"Then you're not the only one on the crazy train, Snape."

* * *

"_And_, I haven't so much as looked at a man since ... you know," Hermione told her. "But lately I've been having these ... feelings."

Ginny grinned.

"Oh, get that dirty look off your face," Hermione commented, flicking a napkin at her friend. "Things with Severus are so complicated ... and why aren't you more surprised that I'm telling you this?"

"Aside from the fact that you're now calling him 'Severus'?" Ginny mused. "Let's see: he helped you track down and put away the men who attacked you - without you asking for his help. He caters to Samantha's every whim, he got you to try and fix things with your parents ..."

Hermione cocked her head at her, raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, bad example," Ginny relented. "But aside from that, he's gone out of his way to be pleasant to you and your child, Samantha adores him, and Ron hates him. Hence my being unsurprised."

* * *

"She can't honestly have feelings for me," Severus thought aloud. "She's just confused. Her emotions about the trial are clouding her judgment."

Remus's grin only grew bigger.

Severus glared at him. "Oh, what do you know, fur ball?"

"I know that I've never seen you act this way, not even when we were kids," Remus answered. "You're completely gone."

Severus shook his head. "It doesn't matter anyway. What kind of life could she have with me? I'm old, bitter and mean."

Remus chuckled at that. "I tried to tell Tonks the same thing. Look where that got me."

Severus looked at the cup of tea in his hands, admitting painfully, "I'm not you."

Remus sighed. "She's not asking you to be. Just trust your gut ... you're good at that."

* * *

"But he just left," Hermione continued. "After we kissed ... he walked away. He said that he was sorry, but he was no good for me." Hermione shook her head sadly. "He doesn't even see how good of a man he is."

Ginny scooted her chair closer to Hermione's placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "So make him see."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know how ... I wouldn't even know where to start."

Ginny smiled softly. "Just trust your gut ... you're good at that."

* * *

_End of chapter seventeen. _

_Well, what did you guys think? _

_I hope you liked it, I know I loved writing it. I couldn't resist the kiss any longer. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	18. Chapter 18

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Eighteen. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the great reviews so far guys, and for sticking with this story so long. _

_I think I might make it a round 20 chapters, so we're getting pretty close to the end. _

_I'll be sad when it's over, this story has been fun. I might have to do a sequel. _

_Well, let's cut the chatting and get on with the story! _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Hermione didn't see Severus again until Monday morning breakfast. He barely looked her way, and was clearly uncomfortable, but at least he had shown up. Hermione took this as a good sign.

Fleur came after breakfast to take Samantha while Hermione was in class, leaving Hermione alone with the thoughts and lesson plans.

If she did what Ginny suggested and took a chance on Severus and lost, she could not only ruin their working relationship and end up getting Samantha hurt, she could wind up hurt herself. If she did what her head told her and took a step back, analyzed the situation and set some sort of friendship boundaries, Samantha would be disappointed, but their hearts would be intact.

_But what if you take a chance on him, and he comes through?_ a little voice in her head asked. _What if you could be happy? All three of you?_

She forced it all to the back of her mind, not wanting to lose focus during her lessons. By the time lunchtime had hit Hermione was mentally exhausted from simply trying to keep her mind focused. She slumped into her chair, fully expecting to be ignored once, more only to be surprised by Severus casually pushing her glass of pumpkin juice closer to her. "Thank you," she told him slowly, taking the glass and sipping on the contents.

"Long day," he commented off-hand and Hermione could have sworn she heard Remus snickering from beside Severus.

"Very," Hermione agreed. They each had almost two hours before they had any more classes, and the day already seemed as though it would never end.

"The afternoon is a perfect time to go for a stroll along the lake," Severus mused, poking at his unappealing food.

Hermione caught his meaning, smiling to herself. "Indeed, it would be."

A few moments later Severus stood from his seat, nodding to Hermione politely before turning to leave, smacking Remus in the back of the head as he left.

Hermione looked over at the chuckling man. "What was that all about?"

Remus rolled his eyes as he got his laughter under control. "Oh, honestly Hermione ... you two are just adorable."

...

It wasn't too hard to spot him down by the lake. Hermione made her way over to her ... whoever he was, slowing when she was within a few yards of him. "It's lovely out here," she spoke, making him turn.

He looked her up and down quickly as she approached. "It certainly is."

Hermione smiled shyly, stopping once she was beside him. "Shall we?" she suggested, motioning for them to walk along the grass by the lake.

They walked along in silence for several minutes, listening to the birds chirping and the wind making the trees dance. Hermione had never really found herself in such a situation before, whereas Severus felt like a _bloody teenager_ once more. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry if I was out of line before," she told him quickly.

Severus turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "When I, er, kissed you. I'm sorry ... I probably shouldn't have jumped on you like that, so I wanted to apologize."

Severus blinked down at her, watching her with wonder. "I wouldn't exactly call that 'jumping' on me," he replied.

Hermione looked down in embarrassment, and Severus realized his poor choice of words.

"What I mean, is that you weren't the only one doing the ... kissing," he finished.

Hermione brightened every so slightly.

"But I don't want to push you into something you aren't ready for. If something were to happen, I would want you to be sure," he insisted, feeling a little foolish.

Hermione nodded. "I would ask the same of you."

They continued walking in silence, neither really knowing where to start the next step.

Hermione fought with herself for several minutes before finally taking the proverbial leap and listening to her heart. "How about dinner?" she suggested.

Severus tilted his head. "Dinner, as in you and me?"

Hermione shrugged. "We could start with something small, see where it goes?"

Severus nodded after a moment, thanking his lucky stars that she wasn't rejecting him outright. "Friday night?"

Hermione's eyes widened in excitement but she reigned herself in. "That would be good. Pick me up at seven?"

He nodded, and they continued walking. After a moment he held his arm out for her to take and she hooked her hand into the crook of his arm, hiding her smile with her wild hair.

...

"Mummy, I like this one," Samantha commented, pointing to one of the many outfits on the bed.

Hermione groaned, grabbing the garment off the bed for the third time after Samantha had retrieved it from the closet again. "Sweetheart, I love you, but I'm not wearing bright pink on my first date with Severus," she informed her daughter.

Samantha sighed dramatically, pouting but looking over the rest of the items on the bed.

Ginny waddled into the bedroom, makeup bag in hand. "She's right, kiddo. Snape's not really a pink sort of person."

Samantha looked even sadder, and off Hermione's flared eyes Ginny backpedaled.

"But I'm sure he loves it when you wear pink," she blustered out, and then deflated with relief when Samantha smiled. Ginny sidled up beside Hermione, whispering, "Wow, does she ever think the world of him?"

Hermione nodded, praying the evening would go well. She had less than a half hour before Severus would arrive, and she was less than not ready.

"You didn't tell Harry, right?" Hermione confirmed, searching through her pile of clothes.

Ginny snorted. "I'm not completely daft, Hermione."

"So what did you tell him?" she wondered, holding up a blue shirt with dark jeans.

Ginny pulled a black skirt off the bed, holding it up to Hermione's waist to see how it looked. "I told him I wanted to get in some more practice with kids while you went for drinks with some teachers," Ginny answered.

Hermione sighed. "Do you think it's bad that I don't want anyone else to know yet?"

Ginny shrugged. "It's not like you're committing some unspeakable, evil act, Hermione. But I think it's better that the boys don't know until you and Snape have figured out where and what you are."

Hermione nodded; that had been her reasoning as well. Plus, she wanted to forestall another argument/confrontation with Ron. "Well, none of that is going to matter if I can't decide on a simple outfit!"

Ginny grinned wickedly. "Well, I'm not sure how Snape would feel about a clothing-optional evening, but we could ask him."

Hermione tossed the sweater she held in her hands at her friend. "You are not even allowed to speak until you get your mind out of the gutter."

Samantha walked back over to the bed, holding a strappy, black top with an angled bottom in her hands. "What about this, Mummy?"

Hermione glanced down at the item, thinking back to the dark jeans she'd had before. "Thank you, Sweetie. That's perfect."

Samantha smiled brightly, congratulating herself with her hands on her hips. "You're welcome."

...

Severus was not a minute late when he knocked on Hermione's door. Since they had agreed on muggle attire for the evening, he wore a simple black dress shirt with black pants and a traveling cloak thrown over his arm. He heard footsteps approaching the door and forced his nerves to calm down, wearing what he hoped was a pleasant expression on his freshly shaven face.

Hermione smiled when she opened the door, dressed similarly to him in all black, but somehow she still managed to look like an angel. "Hi," she greeted. "I just need to grab my purse."

Severus nodded, intent on waiting by the door but Samantha came rushing towards him, tugging him into the room. "Severus, when are you and Mummy going to be done your play date?" she asked him innocently.

Severus tried to choke out a response, but Ginny walked out of the bedroom, beating him to it.

"You'll be in bed by then, Sammy," she told her. "Come on, let's not hold up Mummy and _Severus_."

Snape glanced down at the pregnant Weasley, taking his hand back after the little girl had let go. "I take it you are well?" he asked politely.

Ginny smiled pleasantly. "Very." She looked over at Hermione who was ready to go, and said with a wink, "Have fun."

Hermione shook her head at her friend, walking forward to kiss Samantha on the cheek. "Be good for Auntie Ginny. I love you."

Samantha nodded. "I love you too, Mummy." After a beat she smiled up at Severus. "I love you."

Severus began to feel hot under his collar, but managed to pat the small girl on the shoulder. "Yes, well ... be good for your aunt."

Hermione led him towards the door, ushering him out of the awkward situation. "So, where are we going?" Hermione asked, hoping they would gloss over the fact that her daughter had just told him that she loved him.

Severus cleared his throat, tentatively holding his arm out for her to take as they walked down the hall. "I thought we would get a private booth at the Three Broomsticks," he suggested, and then looked almost a little embarrassed. Hermione wondered if he was letting his walls down more around her, or if she had simply gotten better at reading his expressions. "I don't really know many good places to eat," he confessed. "I don't exactly get out much."

Hermione shook her head, pulling herself closer to him while they walked. "The Three Broomsticks sounds lovely. Besides, I've been kind of a hermit myself."

As they walked the path to Hogsmeade, Hermione couldn't help but remember the last time she'd been to the Three Broomsticks with Severus. She'd winded up drunk, had unwittingly allowed him access to her mind, nearly kissed him, and then run to the bathroom to throw up. She sincerely hoped the evening didn't have the same ending in mind. Mostly. She wouldn't mind if there was kissing involved.

She was pleased that they didn't seem to run out of things to talk about. They discussed their classes to begin with, and then began branching off into books that they'd read. Hermione was pleasantly surprised that he, too, had read the entire Hogwarts, a History. She felt much less abnormal after he'd told her that.

She found herself enjoying the banter they experienced when discussing favorite authors, and both agreed vehemently that Slughorn should remain retired.

Hermione found herself wishing she'd requested a private booth any of the other times she'd come with her friends to the Three Broomsticks ... it was much quieter where they were, and it made the setting much more intimate.

"So, is being a Muggle Studies professor everything you could have hoped for?" he asked her while they ate.

Hermione nodded slowly. "It's good," she stated. "I mean, it's not where I pictured my life would end up, but I can't really complain."

Severus nodded, but couldn't help the next question that came out of his mouth. "Is there something else that you wanted to be doing?"

Hermione shrugged in response. "I don't know. I mean, there are a lot of things I used to think about doing, but I never really got to pursue them."

"Such as ...?" Severus wondered.

Hermione thought back to when she'd graduated, thinking of all the plans she'd had for herself. "Well, after I graduated I was going to take six months off to spend time with my parents, and then begin a winter semester at the local muggle college. Once I finished four years there, I was going to apply at Hogwarts for an apprenticeship."

Severus nodded, intrigued. "In what field?"

Hermione looked sheepish for a moment. "Actually, I had planned on apprenticing in Potions ... with you."

He was silent for a moment, and Hermione expected him to tell her that she wouldn't be cut out for an advanced Potions apprenticeship, as he surely would have done all those years ago. "So, what's stopping you?"

Hermione blinked. "Pardon?"

Severus took a drink out of his glass of wine before explaining. "What's stopping you now from applying for an apprenticeship? I'm not sure what muggle courses you would be taking, but both Minerva and I would have no qualms approving you for an apprenticeship, I am certain your grades in the subject were adequate enough that you wouldn't need to do a repeat course."

Hermione stared at him.

"Yes?" he inquired.

She choked out a laugh before she spoke. "You couldn't have given me this kind of encouragement when I was a student?"

Severus shrugged. "I don't really _do_ encouragement."

Hermione nodded. "I noticed."

"Well, despite all that, why don't you apply for one now? I'm sure it could be worked into your schedule, if it's something that interests you," Severus suggested.

Hermione took it all in, feeling her heart swell while her mind raced. "Um, I'll definitely consider it. Thank you."

Severus nodded, resuming his meal.

...

_End of chapter eighteen. _

_Well, what did you guys think? I hope you liked it, I know I loved writing it. _

_I was gonna write in a scene where Ron sees them in the pub and tries to start something with Snape, but I decided to leave that for later. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	19. Chapter 19

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Nineteen._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Wow, thanks for all the awesome reviews! You guys are the best muses I'll ever have! _

_Here's the next installment! Depending on the length of this chapter, I might decide to go over my previously stated 20-chapter limit ... we'll see. _

_Well, I'm all chatted out, and after this I have to start studying for my finals, so let's get on with it, shall we?_

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Severus and Hermione had been having dinner for a little over seven weeks. They went out one or two times a week, but had yet to really call it 'dating'. They hadn't even kissed since that night by the Astronomy Tower.

Neither of them had the self-assurance to make the next/first move, and so they kept on the way they had, until one Tuesday morning the week before Christmas, Samantha asked Severus if he would have dinner with them.

Severus glanced briefly at the teachers and students within the Great Hall who had heard the child ask her question, glaring at each them until they looked away. There were very few students who had remained at Hogwarts over Christmas break, and most of the professors stayed to keep an eye one them.

Hermione saw Minerva smiling to herself, but the older woman thankfully didn't say anything.

Severus peered down at the girl situated between himself and Hermione, trying to avoid her pleading eyes. "When would this meal take place?" he asked, keeping his face stoic.

Samantha crinkled her nose, turning around to look at her mother. "Mummy, what day can Severus eat with us?"

Hermione smiled at her little matchmaking daughter, wishing - not for the first time - that her child would give her some warning to what she was going to say before she said it. "Well, we'll be at the Burrow Sunday through Tuesday, why don't you ask him over for the Friday evening before?" Hermione suggested, glancing at Severus for confirmation. He didn't object, so she just waited for Samantha to ask him. To date, he had yet to be able to refuse her anything.

Samantha turned back around towards Severus, blinking up at him with hopeful eyes. "Severus, will you have dinner with us on Friday?"

Severus casually scratched his knee under the table before he answered, "That would be fine."

Samantha smiled brightly, diving back into her pudding.

Severus glanced around the table before taking another spoonful out of his dish, working it around in his mouth disdainfully, and then placing his spoon back down, pushing away from the table and walking out of the Great Hall, his dark robes billowing out behind him as he moved.

Hermione asked Remus in a hurried voice if he would watch Samantha for a moment, and after he nodded happily she walked quickly out the side door Severus had exited out of, jogging to catch up to him. "What's wrong?" she asked him, placing her hand gently on his forearm to stop him.

"Nothing," he replied steady, looking straight ahead.

"If it's about the dinner, I'm sorry. I didn't know she was going to ask you that," Hermione told him honestly.

Severus shook his head to the side, feeling the warmth from her hand searing into his arm. "It's not just that, I ..." He pursed his lips. "I am constantly finding myself unable to articulate myself properly around you, Mi - Hermione," Severus confessed.

Hermione tried not to smile. "Is that all?"

He shook his head once more, searching for the right words. "These dinners we've been having, they have been enjoyable, have they not?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, but I don't -"

Severus stopped her with a finger on her lips. "But I believe we both can agree there had been a certain amount of detachment ... a lack of progression in certain areas. Do you agree?"

Hermione was speechless, gone nearly cross-eyed while staring at the finger that still rested on her lips.

Severus drew his finger away, thinking he'd offended her.

"S-sorry," Hermione muttered, feeling every movement in her lips as she said the word. "Um, yeah, I suppose I agree."

He nodded. "And would you also agree that has been working fairly well for us?"

"What, the _lack_ of progression?" she clarified.

Again he nodded.

"Well ... things haven't been bad, if that's what you mean," Hermione mused, wondering where the conversation was headed.

Severus dipped his head down. "I believe it is safe to say that neither of us would want to negatively alter the amicable nature of our relations."

Hermione blinked, working through what he'd said to her. "Wait ... you think you're going to do something to spoil this?" she asked him.

"It is inevitable," Severus responded, attempting to pull away from her gentle grip.

Hermione sensed the motion, sliding her hand up his arm and past his elbow to clasp his tricep, gulping at the taut feeling of it under her fingers. She shook her head, tugging lightly on his arm until he looked at her. "You're not going to spoil this ... there's nothing you could do that would change the way I -"

He cut her off, stepping back and shoving the sleeve of his robes up, revealing his arm to her. Revealing the dark mark branded onto his skin in eternal, black ink. "Look me in the eye and say that this doesn't disgust you. Tell me that it wouldn't affect the way you see me ... if Samantha were to know what it meant, tell me it wouldn't change her opinion of me." He shook his head, gripping his forearm around the mark. "This will always be who I am, Hermione, and I can't change that. No matter how much I want to, no matter how much I want ... you. I won't subject your daughter to that person. Not when I can put a stop to it, right here and now."

He began to drop his sleeve, turning his head to walk away but Hermione gripped his arm, touching his bare skin below the mark. "I know who you are Severus," she told him with a shaky voice.

He looked back at her slowly to see her eyes brimming with tears, but couldn't bring himself to brush them away.

"I have known who you are for a very long time. Underneath all of your sarcasm, your cruel comments, and your sour demeanor, you are a man who always does what is right. A man who would do whatever it takes to ensure that good is being done, and that the people he cares for are protected. The man who accepted this," she spoke, touching a finger to the mark and making him hiss in response. "That man is gone. He has been gone for years. You think you need to hold onto this belief that you are such a terrible person, but you're not. I see it in the way that you are with Samantha ... you don't have to be all smiles and sunshine to be a good person." Hermione looked as deep into her eyes as she could without leaning up to grip his forehead to hers. "I see it in the way you look at me," she breathed. "When you look at me ... I feel whole, and beautiful, and I feel like anything in the world is possible. And maybe that's foolish, and I'm sure you'd say that's youthful naivety, but when you look at me ... I don't see the dark mark on your skin, or the things you've done in the past that you're still atoning for ... I see _you_. I'm not disgusted by you, but you're right about one thing: this brand on your skin does affect the way I see you."

Severus looked down, for the moment disregarding every wonderful thing she had just said.

"I look at this mark, and it enforces every good thought that I've ever had about you ... because you overcame all of that bad in your life and become this wonderful man that I'm looking at now, and if you can do that, then maybe I can too," she told him. "And if there was anyone I'd want to try with ... it would be you."

Severus looked slowly into her eyes, full of surprise but unable to speak.

Hermione chuckled, wiping her eyes on the back of her free hand. "Look, I don't think either of us knows where this is going, and I'm not suggesting we get married or anything, but we could try -"

She didn't get to finish. Her vision clouded with wisps of black hair and pale skin before she realized that he was kissing her, and she pressed herself up on her toes, leaning into him and pressing her right hand against his chest while the other wandered its way up his shoulder and onto his neck.

It was a brief but powerful kiss, leaving Hermione a little dazed when he pulled away.

"A student could walk around the corner," he explained in a breathy whisper, looking down at her while his nose brushed against hers.

Hermione nodded sadly, wishing she could stay pressed against him for longer.

"Otherwise, I would be all for ..."

"Yeah," Hermione sighed. "Me too."

Severus stepped back, removing his arms from where they'd perched on her waist and clearing his throat. "I'll see you at lunch, then?"

Hermione nodded, needing to compose herself before returning to her daughter.

He walked past her towards his classroom, his fingers brushing across her side when he did, letting her know that whatever happened, they were at least on the same page.

* * *

Friday evening came fast, leaving Hermione little time to decorate her rooms. She doubted that Severus would appreciate the festive cheer, but she wanted the even to be memorable, as well as look presentable.

Samantha got a chance to wear one of the outfits her Uncle Harry had bought her for the holiday, a pretty red dress with a black sash and matching shoes. Hermione dress matched her daughter's only in color, for it was not as poofy, nor as frilly, and had soft, wavy sleeves that just barely curved over her shoulders, whereas her daughter's dress had thick straps that left her arms bare.

Not wanting to scare off Severus with her less-than-stellar cooking abilities, Hermione had requested that Dobby bring them whatever they were planning to serve for dinner that night to Hermione's rooms, but to bring enough for three. Dobby had winked in response, all too thrilled to carry out her request.

Hermione had agonized over setting up mistletoe, but in the end had given in to Samantha's overjoyed pleas, placing it above her daughter's room instead of her own, and by the door to the bathroom, figuring those were two places she was least likely to catch the Potions Master unawares. _Assuming he even followed the tradition, _Hermione thought to herself, doubting that he did.

Hermione put the finishing touches on the dining room table she'd set up in the room off of the kitchen that she'd never really used, lighting the candles and at the last moment enchanting them to hover high around the table.

She had pulled out the tree they'd used for their first Christmas alone - even though they'd ended up joining the Weasleys for Christmas Eve that year anyway - and decorated it with transfigured ornaments and flashing lights.

Hermione took in her appearance once more time at her bedroom mirror, running a hand through her curls - she'd managed to harangue them into obedience - and smoothing out her dress. She eyed the package on her dresser, running a finger self-consciously over the delicate, green wrapping.

They hadn't agreed to exchange gifts, but she'd gotten him one anyway while she and Samantha were shopping with Ginny and Harry the day before. Harry had been drooling over the new Quidditch supplies, leaving the girls alone for a half hour or so. Her hormone-addled friend had given her the push she'd needed to purchase the item, and it now rested beside her jewelry box, waiting to be opened and loved.

Hermione sighed, doubting that she would get a chance to give it to him anyway.

The short rap of knuckles on the front door alerted Hermione to his presence and she stepped out of her room, shutting off the light and closing the door. Samantha hopped excitedly, waiting impatiently for her mother to welcome their guest.

She swept the door open, smiling brightly when she saw him on the other side of the door. "Come on in," she welcomed, stepping back for him to enter.

Severus tipped his head in greeting, moving inside so she could close the door. His eyes drifted over her form, taking in her appearance in a way that his dilated pupils could not hide. "You look ... lovely," he commented, straightening his back.

Hermione smiled warmly. "Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself," she replied honestly.

"Do you like my dress, Severus?" Samantha asked, twirling in a circle.

Severus allowed the tiniest of smiles to grace his features for a second. "You look lovely as well, Miss Samantha."

Samantha grinned happily.

They heard the telltale _pop!_ of the food arriving, and Hermione glanced towards the dining room. "Okay, Samantha, time to get washed up." She turned on the water in the kitchen, pulling the stool out from under the sink so her daughter could reach. "You can just put your cloak on the hook by the door," she told Severus while she helped her daughter wash.

Severus nodded moving towards the door but then pausing, his hand on one of his pockets.

"Something wrong?" Hermione asked, turning the water off and drying both of their hands.

He looked awkward for a moment before pulling to box-shaped packages out of his pocket. "I believe it's customary to bring a gift of sorts when invited over around the holidays," Severus stated, hanging his cloak up while holding onto the boxes with this other hand. "I thought I'd give you these before we ate."

Hermione smiled, suddenly relieved _and_ happy she'd bought him a present.

Severus stepped forward, handing the shorter package to Samantha.

"I get a present?" she asked with wide eyes.

He nodded down at her, and then froze in place when she lurched forward and hugged his leg. He didn't have time to react as she detached herself as quickly as she'd jumped on him, running for her stool to sit down and open her present.

Hermione walked over to him smiling. "That's so sweet of you," she told him. "You didn't have to do that."

He shrugged, hesitating a moment before holding the second box out for her to take. "It might be a bit presumptuous of me, but I was hoping you'd wear it ..."

She opened the box carefully, wanting to prolong the moment. Once she finally got through the wrapping and opened the box, her breath caught at the sight of the silver chain and locket. She could barely look at it without trembling, never mind take it out of the box.

"It's too much," Severus announced, feeling stupid.

Hermione shook her head, gripping the material of his vest against his waist and leaning against him. "It's beautiful ..."

He let her rest against him, taking the necklace out of the box and placing the packaging on the table. He flicked open the locket, showing an enchanted center which held visages of her and Samantha, and then the pictures would fade to reveal a serpent on one half of the locket, and a lion on the other.

Hermione smiled, asking him to help her put it on. She held her hair out of the way, shivering as his fingers brushed against her skin while he worked the clasp.

For as nervous as he felt, his fingers did not betray him and he got the necklace nestled against her skin, brushing it softly before she dropped her hair down again.

Both of them had forgotten they weren't alone until Samantha tugged on Hermione's dress.

"Mummy, look what I got!" she exclaimed happily, showing her the open box.

Hermione chuckled at the item, pulling it out of the box to place on her daughter's wrist. The bracelet was silver, like Hermione's necklace, but there was not a lion in sight. The chain interlocked into several slithering snakes, dancing around in a circle, the light catching their eyes every time Samantha moved her arm.

"It's an enchanted bracelet, Samantha," Severus explained. "It will grow as you grow, so that you can wear it as long as you like."

"I love it!" Samantha cried, hugging Severus again before rushing into the dining room to admire it in the candlelight.

"Subtle," Hermione commented, causing the Head of Slytherin House to smirk.

* * *

Samantha fought off sleep as long as she could, wanting to stay up and listen to her mother and - she hoped - father talking about random things, but she yawned every few seconds and could barely keep her eyes open, and finally gave in to her mother's prodding.

She pulled them along with her into her room, wanting them both to say goodnight to her. She felt her mother pause as they walked across the threshold to her room, and leaned back to look up at why she had stopped. Her mother seemed to be staring at the missile-tow she'd set up, and Samantha remembered her Uncle Fred joking about what it was used for. Her eyes widened at the idea, and she stopped, making sure the other two were stuck in the doorway.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, glancing from Severus to the mistletoe and back again. He seemed to know exactly what it was for, as he watched her with eyes that were deep with something she thought might be lust.

"Mummy, you're supposed to smooch him!" Samantha offered, nudging her mother.

Hermione blushed at that, feeling overwhelmed by her three-year old daughter giving her kissing advice. Severus didn't seem to object, so she leaned forward and casually brushed her lips against his, pulling away before she could get carried away with herself. "Alright Sweetie, now it's time for bed."

Samantha was pleased enough with the kiss and submitted to her mother's request, moving over to her dresser to find pajamas.

Severus left the room to give them their privacy, wandering into the living room and thinking over the events that had led him to that moment. To little girls who held so much power over him, and women who kissed him as though they'd been doing it for years. He'd been nervous about attending the dinner that evening, not wanting to make a commitment when he wasn't sure of himself, but as he stood in Hermione Granger's living room waiting for her to come back after putting her daughter to bed, he couldn't make himself regret his decision.

So much had changed in a matter of months ... he didn't know what to do with himself anymore. He hated to follow Remus Lupin's advice about anything, but for the moment, he allowed himself to follow his gut instead of his brain.

* * *

_End of chapter nineteen. _

_What did you guys think? _

_I think I've decided that this will have to be longer than 20 chapters ... not much longer, but I'll need either one or two more chapters before I do the epilogue. And then I'll still probably do the sequel. _

_We'll see how it goes. _

_There should be a fair amount of drama in the next chapter, as that's when Hermione and Samantha go to the Burrow for Christmas ..._

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	20. Chapter 20

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Twenty._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the great reviews, guys, you rock! _

_I'm so happy you guys are still enjoying this story, it makes me want to write more and more and more!!_

_I'll try to make these next couple chapters longer for you, we'll see how it goes ... _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!_

* * *

Hermione fingered the locket around her neck, tucking it under her shirt as she opened the front door to the Burrow. She absolutely loved the gift Severus had given her, but she wanted to keep it herself a little bit longer. She wished she'd gotten him something more personal than a book, but he had sworn that he found it "perfectly enjoyable". She had remembered him mentioning that it was one of the few books that he didn't own, but had always wanted to read, so it had seemed like fate when she'd found it in the bookstore with Ginny.

"You're here!" Molly Weasley greeted, wrapping them up in her arms the second they had the door closed.

"Happy Christmas Auntie Molly!" Samantha greeted cheerfully.

Hermione smiled down at her daughter. "Remember, Sweetie, it's not Christmas Eve until tomorrow," she reminded her.

Samantha sighed. "Okay, Mummy."

Ginny came waddling in from the living room, smiling at the three of them. "Hey, how's my favorite niece?" she asked Samantha who smiled toothily. "She's good."

"Your Uncles are outside playing Quidditch if you want to go watch," Ginny suggested.

"Can I Mummy?" Samantha asked, bouncing with excitement.

Hermione nodded, pulling her daughter's took and mitts on. Molly took Samantha's hand, offering to lead her outside. "So, how're you feeling?" Hermione asked Ginny, gazing at her swollen belly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ready to be done being pregnant."

Hermione chuckled.

Ginny glanced around before saying in a quieter voice, "So, did you give it to him?"

Hermione asked, "The book?"

Ginny nodded.

"Yes," she smiled, looking around herself before reaching for the necklace he'd given her. "He bought me this."

Ginny squealed with delight, reaching forward to open the locket. "Aww, that's so sweet!" she exclaimed, watching the figures fade away and come back again.

Hermione nodded. "He got Samantha a bracelet, too."

Ginny grinned, opening her mouth to say something when Harry walked in, holding a water bottle in his hand.

"What are you too up to?" he asked them, and Ginny closed the locket quickly.

"Just girl stuff," she told her husband, looking away guiltily.

Harry looked back and forth between the two of them, sighing and setting down his bottle. "You know, I'm not going to freak out."

Hermione glanced at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Harry glanced towards the door he'd come in, seeing Ron and the rest of the Weasleys caught in conversations. "I know, Hermione."

She swallowed the excessive saliva that had built up in her mouth, fiddling with her fingers. "Know what?"

He walked towards her with his hands in his pockets, sighing before he spoke, "A couple weeks ago I was down in Hogsmeade, visiting Abe. He asked me if I could drop something off for Madame Rosmerta, so I went over to the Three Broomsticks. I saw you going out just after I came in, and you weren't alone."

Hermione blinked, furiously, trying to come up with a believable reason for why she'd been there without having to tell Harry that she'd been seeing Severus Snape.

"I'm not going to freak out, Hermione ... and I know that Ginny hasn't been "practicing" being a mum while you've been going out for "drinks with colleagues"," he told her. "If you've found someone that makes you happy, then just tell me."

Hermione breathed out slowly, looking into her friend's brilliant green eyes before admitting, "I've been having dinner with Severus Snape for a couple of months now."

Harry nodded, his face not portraying any negative emotion. "Okay."

Hermione stared at him. "Okay?"

Harry shrugged. "Would you rather I scream at the top of my lungs what a horrible mistake I think you're making?"

She shook her head.

Harry smiled, glancing at his wife who still looked guilty. "Good, 'cause I'm not going to. But I can see why you guys thought you needed to keep it from everyone."

Hermione looked outside at the mass of red hair. "Yes, about that ... would you mind not telling -"

"Ron?" Harry finished.

"Yeah," she breathed. "I just don't really want to have an argument with him over Christmas." She tucked her necklace back into her shirt.

"Good luck with that," Fred said from behind her, and Hermione turned to see he and George coming in the back door.

"What?" Hermione asked, feeling her heart already speeding up.

"Just thought you might want a head's up that your daughter is telling everyone about the wonderful gift that 'Severus' got her for Christmas," George informed them, and Hermione looked out into the backyard with a sinking feeling in her gut as she saw Ron's face turn as deep a shade of red as his hair.

* * *

There were very few times that Hermione had screamed at Ron in the last few years. The last time had been when Samantha had been a little over two years, and Ron had apparated straight into the middle of their living room, landing practically on top of her daughter and knocking her down, resulting in a cut lip and a bump on her head. Ever since then, she had ordered him never to apparate in uninvited.

She hadn't been upset enough with him since then to yell at him about anything, but that all changed the moment he proclaimed in front of her daughter that Snape was only using her for sex, and would toss her aside the moment he was done with her.

Hermione had growled with fire in her eyes, gripping his arm and apparating them to the furthest corner of the Weasley's land, giving her plenty of room to scream at him without her daughter having to hear it.

"How dare you, Ronald Weasley?" she shouted, stepping forward so she was in his face. Her diminished height made no difference, as the fire in her eyes made him feel as though he were four feet tall. "Are you physically incapable of thinking before you open your mouth and spout off ridiculous lies?"

Ron replied nearly as haughtily, "It's not a lie, Hermione, can't you see that? He's got you all turned around, you're not thinking clearly. It's so unlike you!"

Hermione shook her head, shoving him back. "No, Ronald. The only lie is that I haven't told you about my relationship with him ... for good reason."

Ron paused, staring at her with unbelieving eyes. "What? Relationship? ... No, you said that you weren't ready to be in a relationship after everything that happened," he told her with a hint of desperation in his voice. "I waited ..."

"I never asked you to wait for me," she told him, glaring deep into his eyes. "There is never going to be anything more than friendship between us, don't you understand that?"

Ron shook his head, stepping back towards her and gripping her arm. "No ... you just don't see it," he told her. "You just need to see …" He pulled her forwards before she could react and sealed his mouth over hers, making her eyes widen in shock and fear, trying to pull away. His grip on her arm and the hand around her back held her steady and she squirmed, trying to get away.

Hermione felt an odd heat against her chest, but her mind was too panicked to realize that it was her necklace that was heating up. A second later she felt Ron being ripped away from her and nearly sobbed in relief. She looked around in time to see Severus angle his fist squarely into Ron's nose, a look of sheer hatred on his face. She instinctively moved behind him as he towered over the wincing redhead, his hands fisted menacingly.

"If you ever even think about laying so much as a finger on any part of her person again, I will crush you like the pathetic weasel you are!" Severus Snape snarled, not caring how much anger he was showing.

Ron glared at the man, gripping his wand as stealthily as he could before standing up. "You don't scare me, you miserable, old bat!" he countered, whipping the wand out and preparing to hex him.

Severus easily countered the attack, stunning Ron before he knew what happened. Hermione shook behind him and he turned, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Hermione glanced up at him, unable to believe Ron had tried to ... "No, not really," she told him honestly, trying to hold back her tears.

After a moment he slowly pulled her closer, unsure if she would want him to, but not knowing what to do in that situation.

Hermione stepped into his arms, letting the tears fall from her eyes as she hugged him tightly. They stood like that for an unknown amount of time before Hermione slowly pulled her head away but left one arm around him, wiping her eyes and cheeks with the other. She glanced up at him with shining eyes, wanting to thank him but she wasn't sure how. "How did you know?" she asked him.

Severus looked down at where her necklace was hidden by her shirt, confessing, "One of the charms that I placed on the necklace - and Samantha's bracelet - was to inform me if either of you was in distress ... it informs me automatically through this and leads me to you," he explained, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a simple watch.

Hermione let her head drop forward, breathing against his chest. After a minute she sighed and pulled back a bit. "I should get back to Samantha," she told him. "Ron said some things, that ... well, she shouldn't have had to hear."

Severus looked at the unconscious body in the grass, asking, "What did he say to her?"

Hermione looked away sheepishly.

He pulled her chin softly back to face him. "Tell me," he asked quietly.

Hermione sighed, looking down but not pulling away from his finger. "Ron announced to everyone that you were ... that you only wanted me for sex, and that you would discard me the moment you got it."

Severus growled deep in his chest, fighting the urge to kick the boy on the ground behind him. "There couldn't be less truth to that," he told her.

Hermione nodded, getting a handle on her emotions. "I know that," she told him. "I know. I should make sure Samantha's okay."

Severus nodded, flicking his wand behind him to levitate Ron's body, banishing it towards the Burrow. He took Hermione's arm with her nod of consent and apparated them to the front door of the house.

"I should leave," he told her once they arrived, stepping back from her.

Hermione wasn't ready for him to leave just yet, so she grabbed his hand with hers. "Wait," she pleaded. "Just stay for a minute ... Samantha would love it if you said hello."

Severus nodded after a moment, allowing her to link her fingers with his as she opened the door.

"What the sodding hell happened?" Ron Weasley's voice bellowed out when they opened the door, clearly having woken up after crashing through a window into the house.

Every inhabitant of the living room turned to see Hermione and Severus stop in the doorway, all eyes flickering to their joined hands.

* * *

_End of chapter twenty. _

_I would have made it a bit longer, but I have to go pick up my brother from school, and I wanted to get another chapter uploaded before I left. _

_So, what did you guys think? Love it, hate it? _

_Review are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	21. Chapter 21

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Twenty-One._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: Wow ... unbelievably amazing reviews so far, guys. If I'm half as good as you guys say I am, I'm off to do a little happy dance. _

_I am so thrilled you're still enjoying this story ... and to everyone who's just recently found this story and read all the chapters up to this point, thanks for dropping me a review, I'm glad you like it! I owe it all to the inspiration behind this story, and that would be Samantha's wonderful character ... this story wouldn't be half as good without her. _

_Also, I'm happy I decided to go past 20 chapters ... wouldn't have done the story justice if I had ended it so soon. I'm not sure how many chapters it will be now ... I want it to be a round-ish number, so probably either 25 or 30. _

_Well, that's enough out of me ... let's get on with it, shall we? _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Hermione allowed Severus to retract his hand away from hers, staring at the scene laid out before her.

Ron was shaking bits of glass out of his hair with an infuriated expression on his reddened face while his mother whipped her want out to repair the window. Charlie, Bill, Fred and George stared at their old Potions professor with disbelieving and shocked looks on their faces. Harry and Ginny looked worriedly between Ron and Hermione while Fleur attempted to calm a fussy Samantha, and Arthur attempted to soothe his wife. There was definite tension.

"Should have stunned him permanently," Severus muttered in Hermione's ear, his hand resting on his wand.

Ron glared at the older man before turning to Harry for back up. "He attacked me!"

Harry glanced at Hermione for confirmation.

"That is an utter lie, Ronald, and you know it!" she spoke evenly, glancing at Ginny. "Ginny, Fleur, can you please take Samantha upstairs?"

Ginny nodded, glancing suspiciously at her brother before moving to help the veela with the three-year old.

Once they were out of earshot Hermione rounded on Ron. "What the hell do you think you have to be blustering about?" she asked scathingly, feeling much more secure with Severus next to her. "After what you just tried to do, you're lucky Severus only stunned you!"

All eyes turned to Ron.

"What is she talking about, son?" Arthur asked.

Ron shook his head. "It's him! He's messed with her head! She's not thinking straight!" he defended.

Severus took a menacing step forwards, ignoring Hermione's half-hearted request to stay back. Ron's eyes widened in anger and fear, but he remained where he was. "You simpering, impotent disgrace," he spat, glaring down at the younger boy. "First you force yourself on your _friend_, and then you attempt to cover it up with half-baked lies! I should hex you until you shrivel up into the worthless piece of vermin you are!"

His wand went up, but Arthur stepped in his way. "Now wait just a minute, Snape," he said, holding his hand up. "There must be some mistake. Ron wouldn't ... not after ..." Arthur glanced at Hermione who reluctantly nodded. He turned his head back to his son. "Ron?"

Ron looked away in near-shame. "It wasn't like that ..."

Hermione shook her head, trying to blink away her resurfacing tears. "It was _exactly_ like that," Hermione snapped. "You just won't get it through your head that I don't love you like that!"

Ron scoffed, trying to step around the men in front of him. "Oh, but you love _him_?"

Hermione remained silent, neither confirming nor denying Ron's beliefs.

"Ron, stop," his father ordered in a shaky voice, but Molly's voice boomed over top of his.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, how could you!?" she shrieked, pushing her husband out of the way to pull Ron to face her by his shoulders. "After everything that Hermione went through, after everything that she sacrificed ... how could you do that? What is the matter with you?"

Ron looked away, unable to meet his mother's eyes.

Molly shook him, losing her patience, but Ron still didn't answer. She looked at him with sad and angered eyes before setting her jaw and steeling her gaze. "You need to sort things out for yourself, Ronald ... away from here."

Ron turned to look at her in surprise. "You're kicking me out?"

Molly shook her head, fighting back her tears. "No ... I'm telling you to leave before you make things worse for yourself. You need to get some perspective ... and if you don't leave, or apologize or something, I just might let Severus tear you a new one."

Ron looked around at everyone in the room who all watched him with matching, unsympathetic expressions before he nodded, stepped away from his mother and apparated away.

Severus growled low in his throat before stepping away from Arthur Weasley and returning to the front door.

Hermione looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry," she whispered to everyone in the room. "I didn't mean for this to spoil your Christmas."

Molly shook her head, stepping towards the smaller girl and taking her in her arms. "You didn't spoil anything, dear. Ron needs to get his head on straight." She pulled back to hold Hermione and arm's length, sighing sadly. "Oh, Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. We all knew Ron was hung up on you, but we never thought he'd go that far ..."

Hermione nodded sadly. "I thought I'd made it clear ... but I guess I was too afraid to hurt him."

Severus glanced down at the two uncomfortably, wanting to leave. "Hermione, now that the ... crisis has been averted, I shall be leaving."

Molly glanced over at him. "Don't be silly, Severus. You're here now, and we have more than enough room."

Severus glanced around at the mass of Weasleys before looking down at Hermione with almost remorseful eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have pressing matters to deal with," he lied. "Hermione, could I speak with you a moment before I depart?"

Hermione nodded, following him out of the house.

"I hope you are not offended by my leaving," Severus said quietly.

Hermione shook her head. "It's okay. I'm sure I'll be fielding about a million questions from all of them tonight anyway ... it'll be less awkward if you're not there."

Severus nodded. "Are you okay, then?"

Hermione nodded after a moment. "I wish Ron wasn't such a bloody moronic prat, but yeah, I'll be fine." She touched the necklace where it lay under her shirt, looking up at him. "Thanks ... for everything."

"You are welcome," Severus told her, looking towards the house once before leaning down and brushing her lips with his. "I shall see you when you return to Hogwarts."

Hermione sighed, nodding once before stepping back so he could apparate away. Once he was gone she waited outside for a moment before taking a deep breath and returning inside.

* * *

Hermione had been correct in assuming there would be a mass of questions hailed at her when she walked in the door. They started out with concern for her well being, and then drifted off into whether or not she was actually dating Severus Snape, the man notorious for his utter hatred of all things Gryffindor. The remaining Weasleys had the decency and maturity not to ask if her she'd completely lost her mind, especially once Samantha had been brought back down. Of course, once Samantha got within wailing distance of her mother, she began her own assault of questions: why Uncle Ron was so mad at Severus, why Severus had left without saying goodbye, what "sex" was ... Hermione was not a happy camper.

By the end of the night, when Samantha was snoring peacefully in Percy's old room, Hermione was exhausted. Hermione sat with Ginny and Fleur in the back yard, grateful that the two of them hadn't felt the need to pick her brain.

"Someone please tell me something to take my mind off of this entire day," Hermione asked, leaning back against her chair with her hand over her eyes.

She heard the other two shift in their chairs, imagined they were looking at each other and telling the other to come up with something, but finally Fleur broke the silence, accentuating each word. "I am pregnant."

Hermione blinked, removing her arm from her head. Ginny snapped forward in her seat, her hand covering her own belly.

"Seriously?" the two of them asked at the same time.

Fleur nodded happily.

"Does Bill know?" Hermione asked just as Ginny asked, "Does Mum know?"

Fleur shook her head. "I just found out. I wanted to surprise them."

Hermione smiled, happy for both Bill and Fleur. "When are you going to tell them?"

Fleur told them her plan to tell Bill on Christmas Eve, and then the two of them would tell Molly and Arthur Christmas Day, depending on how he took the news. Hermione and Ginny assured her that they had no doubts that Bill would be thrilled.

When she went to bed that night, Hermione thought over the day's events, all leading up to Fleur being pregnant. With Ginny being only a couple months away from giving birth, and another baby on the way, Molly was going to have her hands full with grandchildren. She was happy, though. _Molly will be so thrilled. If only Ron hadn't been so stupid, he could be here, enjoying this moment with his family._

She curled herself against the extra bed in Percy's old room, glancing over at her daughter and Crookshanks cuddled together. _I can't believe Ron actually did that ... I don't know what I would have done if Severus hadn't shown up. _She looked thoughtfully at the locket he'd given her, and at Samantha's very-Slytherin bracelet, considering the enchantment he'd placed upon both of the items so that he would know if they were ever in trouble. Even if he couldn't express it with words, he cared and worried about them ... about both of them.

The thought made her smile, despite all the other thoughts running through her mind.

* * *

By Christmas Day Hermione had managed to suitably convince Samantha that her "Uncle Ron" had been mistaken about everything he'd said, and had only acted the way he had because he'd knocked his head a bit while playing Quidditch. She told her that she didn't know how long it would take until he sorted himself out, but she hoped he would do it quickly and come back to apologize.

Hermione was looking forward to returning to Hogwarts, even though she knew that the other Weasleys would always love her and treat her as a member of their own, large family. Bill and Fleur had told everyone about their baby news, and the house was very hectic at the moment.

Samantha kept placing her ear on Ginny's belly and then Fleur's, trying to hear the babies inside both of them, and then crinkling her nose at her Auntie Fleur. "Are you _sure_ there's a baby in there, Auntie Fleur?"

Everyone laughed while Fleur nodded. "I am sure."

They opened presents after breakfast, and after that they went out into the yard to play the oddest game of soccer Hermione had ever witnessed. Harry and Hermione had suggested it the previous year, but Fred and George had found it boring, so they'd spruced it up, enchanting the ball to make it try and dodge everyone who went after it. The teams soon disbanded and everyone ran around at random, trying madly to capture the damn ball.

Hermione was taking a breather from the game when Molly appeared beside her, looking at her thoughtfully. "Hermione, could I see you inside for a second?"

She nodded, imaging the woman was about to berate her for her choices.

"I know you've answered dozens of questions about this already, so I'll only ask you one, and then I'll be done with it," Molly told her.

Hermione waited for her to continue.

"Are you happy?"

_Well, that's not what I was expecting,_ Hermione thought, looking at the older woman. "Um ... yes, I suppose."

Molly held firm, tilting her head. "I'm afraid I'll need a little more than that, dear. 'I suppose' is not the answer of a happy woman."

Hermione groaned, sitting down on the couch by the window. "Molly, this has all happened so suddenly, I don't know what to feel."

Molly sat next to her, brushing a hand through Hermione's hair and then wrapping an arm around her, half-hugging her. "Just start from the beginning, dear. Tell me what happened, and maybe it'll clear things up for you."

And Hermione did. She told Molly about everything Severus had done and said to her since the moment she arrived at the school, blushing slightly when she told her about him being in her room without her permission, and when she told her about her getting drunk and him bringing her home. She told Molly how he acted around Samantha, and how Samantha felt about him. She recounted all that Severus had done to catch the men who'd attacked her, and how he'd calmed her down during her panic-attack. She told Molly about Samantha wanting Severus to be her father, and about the Room of Requirement experience. Finally, she told Molly about the necklace and bracelet he'd given them, and finished her story, looking down at her hands.

Molly was silent next to her.

"Molly?" Hermione asked, glancing over at her.

The older woman shook her head, a glazed look in her eyes and a half-smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I never would have thought it was possible."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "Thought what was possible?"

Molly blinked, turning her head to meet Hermione's eyes. "You've gotten to him, Hermione. You've made him feel again ... you've softened his heart, so to speak."

Hermione scoffed, looking away. "Oh, please ... he wasn't always that bad, really."

Molly grinned. "You're saying that now ... would you have said that when you first went back to Hogwarts?"

Hermione thought back, shrugging. "I don't know ... maybe."

Molly shook her head. "I don't think you would have ... 'cause he's changed you, too."

Hermione replied, "I don't know what you mean."

Molly smiled, patting Hermione's hand. "Oh, dear ... don't you realize? You're falling in love with him."

* * *

_End of chapter twenty-one. _

_Sorry for the wait, but I've been trying to wrap up all my Practicum stuff for the end of term. _

_Well, what did you guys think? Love it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	22. Chapter 22

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Twenty-Two._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews guys, you rock! _

_Just a heads up: this will be the last chapter I can update until Wednesday night at the soonest. I'll be at my brother's while I write my exams, and his computer sucks arse. I'll still be writing, though, so I'm hoping to be able to post a bunch of chapters when I get back. We'll see what happens. _

_Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know what was up. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Hermione, Samantha and Crookshanks returned to Hogwarts Sunday evening, in time for Samantha to play with her Christmas presents for a short while before getting ready for bed.

As Hermione lay in bed that night she tossed and turned, thinking relentlessly about what Molly had said to her. She was certainly more than fond of Severus, and at the moment she couldn't imagine the next day without him in it ... but was she really in love with him? She didn't know how to tell, it had never happened to her before. Her love for Samantha was absolute, set-in-stone, completely unquestionable. She knew what that felt like. She knew was it was _to love_ someone, but she didn't know a thing about being _in love_.

She turned over onto her side again, looking at the time. She sighed into her pillow, knowing the person she needed to talk to would still be awake. She got dressed, summoned Dobby to watch Samantha, told him where she would be if anything happened, slid on her traveling cloak and moved to the fireplace, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder, first traveling to the Leaky Cauldron and then apparating to her destination.

Hermione knocked on the door hard enough to be heard by the person sipping tea in the living room, but not loud enough to wake anyone who was sleeping.

After what seemed like ages, the door opened and the porch light flicked on. "Hermione?"

She set her jaw. "We need to talk."

* * *

Hermione sat on the couch while her mother poured her a cup of tea with slightly shaky hands.

"I was hoping I'd see you again soon," Jean Granger told her in a hushed voice, ever-mindful of her husband snoring only a floor away.

Hermione glanced at the stairs, thinking about how much she'd like to storm up them and hex the sleeping bastard. "Well, I figured you were the best person to talk to about this. I mean, you've stayed with him all these years, I figure you must love him more than anything," Hermione stated. "I need to understand more."

Her mother smiled sadly, sitting down beside her and slowing reaching her hand up to rub her back, stopping when Hermione looked uncomfortable. "You know, even when you were a toddler, as soon as you could speak, you wanted to know everything, wanted to understand how things worked and why. I was always afraid that one day you would figure everything out for yourself, and you wouldn't need me anymore."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond by her mother continued.

"I know you don't _need_ me, you haven't for a long time ... but you're here now, so I'll answer all of your questions. Ask me anything."

Hermione wondered where to begin. "Did you like Dad when you first met him?"

Jean Granger thought back to the first time she'd met Paul, smiling a little. "Not really. It was a blind date, and a friend of ours had set us up. He didn't hold any doors open for me, he didn't pull out my chair when we were seated for dinner, he made such a big production about paying for dinner, and then he didn't kiss me goodnight when he walked me home. I was convinced that I was never going to see him again, and that was just fine."

Hermione eyed her mother oddly, wondering how they'd ended up married if that had been her opinion of him. "So, what happened?"

Jean smiled. "He called me the next day, said he'd been extremely nervous, and wanted to know if he could take me out for a proper date. That one went much better, and even though he wasn't perfect, he made me laugh like no one ever had."

Hermione couldn't imagine her father being at all charming, but she also realized that there wasn't always a time that she had hated him.

"And you still love him now?" Hermione asked.

Jean sighed, looking down at her hands. "I've asked myself that question so many times, Hermione."

The younger girl waited for her mother to continue.

"Things are never as easy as love or hate, Hermione," Jean spoke. "There are times when I marvel at what your father has become, but as bad as he can be, that's how amazing he can be as well. I can't help that I love him, Hermione ... I'm sorry that he's hurt you."

Hermione shook her head, trying to wrap her head around it.

"So ... it's that professor, isn't it?" her mother asked, trying to lighten the subject.

Hermione felt a blush rising to her cheeks, blinking a few times before meeting her mother's eyes. "It's that obvious?"

Jean smiled softly. "To me."

Hermione shrugged, looking at her tea that was getting cold. "I don't know ... we've been seeing each other for a couple months, but nothing's really happened. He's so good with Samantha, though. And I've never felt this way before ... but I don't know if it's love."

Jean nodded. "You'll know when it hits you," she told her daughter. "I thought I was sure I was in love with your father, but it didn't really hit me until my wedding day. I knew that I wanted to marry him, and that no one would make me happier, but it wasn't until I was actually walking down the aisle towards him that it hit me: I would do anything for him, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life loving him. He's my soul mate, Hermione."

Hermione nodded, not feeling any more sure of herself or her feelings for Severus. "I should probably be getting back," she said, setting her cup down on the coffee table.

Jean stood up, sad that her daughter was leaving. "I know that you won't bring her back here, but is there any way I could see Samantha again?"

Hermione answered honestly, "I won't force her to, Mum. After what happened last time, I don't want to push her. If she wants to see you, then I'll think about it. But for now ... I don't even know when I'll be seeing you again."

Her mother blinked to hide her tears, taking a chance and wrapping her arms around her daughter.

Hermione stiffened but allowed her mother to hug, realizing for the first time just how much time had gone by. Just how far they'd drifted apart. When Molly had put her arm around her, she had found it comforting, had leaned into the older woman and talked to her for over an hour. But when her own mother hugged her, she found the action stiff and awkward, and wanted to pull back, but apparently was too good of a person to be rude.

_This really isn't my life anymore_, Hermione told herself.

* * *

Hermione did indeed see Severus the next day. He had said a courteous 'hello' to her when she'd sat down to eat with the other teachers and students who had remained at Hogwarts, but when he'd seen that she wore the necklace around her neck still - not hidden by her shirt - he smiled briefly, hiding the movement quickly from the other teachers, but Hermione had seen it.

Hermione had a feeling the rest of the teachers knew about their relationship, even though none of them said anything. Minerva was constantly smiling in their direction, Filius and Pomona were caught in a private conversation, glancing conspiratorially over at them every few seconds, and Sybill was pouting over her eggs. None of them had said anything to them yet, so Hermione didn't acknowledge it.

Samantha was in the process of trying to convince Hagrid to take her out to see Grawp when Hermione tuned in to their conversation. "I'm sorry, Sweetie, but you can't go to see Grawp." Hermione was sure that Hagrid would do his best to keep her daughter safe, and she didn't dislike Grawp, but he was less-than-gentle, and her daughter was simply too small.

"But Mummy, why not?" Samantha pouted.

Hermione decided, "Because you aren't old enough to go into the Forbidden Forest. Mummy didn't go until she was eleven."

Samantha pouted, but seemed to accept this as an answer. Hermione didn't think that would last long, though, so she tried to take her mind off of it.

"We could do something else today, though," she offered. "Whatever you want."

Samantha looked up at her smiling. "Can we go back to the fun room?"

Hermione tilted her head ... in a place like Hogwarts, that was a pretty vague question. "Which fun room?"

"The one with all the toys and the super big music play-thing!" Samantha explained, shaking her head at her mother like she should know better.

"Oh, the Room of Requi- oh," Hermione trailed off, glancing at Severus, who quickly caught her uneasiness. She hadn't told him about Samantha's ideal room, and wasn't sure she wanted to. She didn't want to scare him off. "Um ..."

"Mummy, you promised!" Samantha told her.

"Well ... I suppose we could go," Hermione agreed. It wasn't as though Ron would be there to make things awkward again.

"Severus can come too!" Samantha exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.

A few of the other teachers snickered, causing both Severus and Hermione to glare at them. "I don't know, Sweetie," Hermione said slowly. "He might have other things to do."

Severus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, sensing that she was trying to hide something. His curiosity reared its head again and he replied, "I wouldn't mind paying a visit to the room of requirement. That is, if you don't mind having me there."

It only sounded mildly like a challenge, and Hermione squared her jaw, staring at him evenly. "Not at all."

They held each other's gaze until Samantha started bouncing in her seat again. "Well, hurry up and eat so we can go!"

* * *

When the door opened Hermione expected everything to be as it had been before, but she didn't take into account that their circumstances had changed since they had last been in the room.

There were still an extraordinary amount of toys for her daughter to play with, and the miniature giant squid had reappeared, but the giant music box in the middle of the room had changed. Instead of it having the man and woman dancing together on the turning floor, there was a third character on the box ... a little girl who was smiling happily as she danced with the tall, dark-haired man - who suddenly had a face and looked remarkably like Severus - and the woman who looked too much like Hermione had one hand on the man's shoulder while the other held her swollen belly that looked much like Ginny's pregnant one.

_Oh dear,_ Hermione thought, realizing what her daughter's latest dreams were.

Severus paused visibly beside her, watching Samantha skip around the room as though she found it completely normal to be seeing such things.

Hermione waited for Severus to walk out, figuring that this would be the push he needed to end things with her. She didn't know when she'd suddenly become so self-doubting, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't understand why he was even with her in the first place.

Severus glanced at every corner of the room ... from the blended Slytherin and Gryffindor paraphernalia, to the squid splashing in the water, and finally to the large music box displayed in the middle of the room. He wasn't too surprised ... after all, the girl had literally asked him to be her father. But the sight of Hermione pregnant ... or at least the visage of Hermione pregnant, supposedly with his child ... that threw him a bit.

He'd never considered having children of his own. His own upbringing had been unpleasant enough, he hadn't wanted to risk the same thing happening to a child of his own. He seemed to do okay with Samantha, but he didn't really have that much contact with her.

He felt something stirring within him when he looked at the image of Hermione pregnant and smiling up at him while he held Samantha in his arms. He didn't know what it was, he didn't know whether he liked it or not, and he didn't know what it meant.

All he knew was that Hermione was staring at him, and he should probably be saying something right about then.

_But what ...?_

* * *

_End of chapter twenty-two. _

_I know, I'm cruel, leaving their relationship hanging like that. _

_Again, I won't be able to do another chapter until Wednesday evening at the earliest. Wish me luck on my exams!_

_I hope you guys liked this chapter, I know I loved writing it! _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	23. Chapter 23

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Twenty-Three._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for all the amazing reviews so far guys, you rock! _

_Sorry for the long wait, my brother's laptop sucks for typing. _

_Well, here's the next installment of this story. I hope you guys like it, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

* * *

Tobias Snape had been a generally unpleasant man to everyone he had ever met, but out of all the people in his life, the one who bore the brunt of his anger and frustration was his son, Severus. Rarely a day went by when he wasn't yelling at him, cursing him for all of his faults, and blaming him for all of his own troubles.

After Severus's graduation and his acceptance into Voldemort's followers he had sworn that the Snape line would end with him. He'd never let himself get close to anyone after Lily; he'd ended every relationship the second it appeared to be getting to involved. He hadn't wanted to risk turning into his father.

Severus had been alone for many years now, he couldn't imagine any other life ... not up until five months ago, when Hermione Granger had come into his life and made him slowly-but-surely start lowering his walls.

For someone who had spent the majority of his life looking over his shoulder and being wary of everyone, she had snuck up on him far too easily. It was unfathomable.

She was looking at him with concerned eyes, and he realized that time had not stopped moving while he'd been considering all of this. She was expecting him to say something.

He opened his mouth to speak but then he looked back at the visage of her pregnant and he couldn't bring himself to reassure her. "I ... I have a pressing matter to attend to in my lab," he told her and then swiftly walked out of the room.

Hermione watched him go, her heart sinking. Samantha noticed that he was gone a few minutes later and ran over to Hermione.

"Mummy, why are you crying?"

Hermione snapped herself out of it, looking down at her daughter. "Mummy just had something in her eye," she told her daughter, wiping at the stray tears that had leaked from her eyes.

"Oh, ok," Samantha spoke. "Where did Severus go?"

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, holding in her emotions before responding. "He had something that he had to do in his office, and he had to get back to it. He told me to tell you goodbye."

Samantha was sad but nodded. "That's okay," she said. "We can see him again."

Hermione nodded sadly, wondering if Severus would want to see them again.

* * *

He sat in his study that night, nursing a glass of firewhiskey. His mind flooded with memories of the last few months and as each one ran through his mind he sank further into the abyss he'd created for himself.

_I am not a good man_, he reminded himself whenever he felt the urge to get out of the chair he'd sunk into and find Hermione to apologize for his sudden departure. _She deserves better ... they both do._

So he resolved to drink himself into a stupor - it wouldn't be the first time - and deal with the consequences come morning. If he tried hard, he could avoid them until the students came back, and then he was confident that he would be able to put his strict and unfriendly demeanor back in place.

There was a knock at his front door and he groaned, remaining in his seat. He figured it would be Hermione wanting to talk about, but he forced himself not to go to the door. Eventually she would take the hint and leave.

His front door opened and he turned around in his seat, wondering if she actually had the gall to sort through his wards and break into his rooms.

"Severus Snape, where are you?" a near-shrill voice asked, and he groaned even louder. _Not Hermione. Much worse._

Minerva McGonagall stepped into the study, hands on her hips and glaring at the man with the alcohol in his hands. "Just what do you think you are doing?"

Severus rolled his eyes, turning back around in his chair. "Enjoying the perks of being in the privacy of my own rooms," he stated pointedly, taking another swig.

Minerva pulled the glass away from him, setting it roughly on the table beside the couch. "It looks more like you're being a complete and utter dunderhead, if you ask me."

"I don't believe I did ask you, Minerva," he replied coolly, wondering if she would take the bottle away from him as well.

She did.

"What do you want?" he asked her petulantly, willing himself to a place far, far away.

"I want you to explain what in the name of Merlin is wrong with you," she told him.

"What is it that you think I've done this time?"

Minerva supplied, "Aside from breaking that poor girl's heart?"

Severus glared at the Headmistress. "Since when did my personal life become your business?"

"When you made it your business to invade her personal life," Minerva retorted. "I may not be as sharp as our previous Headmaster, but I do know what goes on in my school."

Severus stood from his chair, glaring at the older woman. "My meddling got those men imprisoned for the crimes they committed against her."

Minerva nodded. "And now that you've gotten what you wanted, you're just going to cut her off? Pull away from her and the child. I mean, Heaven knows what they see in you, but they must see something, and you're just throwing that all away?"

Severus snatched the bottle back from her quickly, turning his back. "What I do with my life is not your business."

"I am making it my business, Severus. Now, I'm not telling you that you have to march over there and marry her for goodness sakes, but I will not stand by and watch you alienate yourself any longer," she professed. "You are being a fool, Severus. You have a wonderful thing going, and you're doing everything you can to spoil it."

"Why do you even care, Minerva?" Snape wondered, rounding on her. "What does any of this matter to you? Why are you pushing me towards your favorite Gryffindor?"

Minerva smiled. "Aside from the fact that the two of you are completely perfect for one another, if you bothered to stop and notice ... she makes you smile, and that my dear boy is no easy feat."

Severus rolled his eyes, knowing she wasn't wrong. "You sound too much like Albus."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Minerva replied.

Severus shook his head, glancing down at the bottle in his hands. Maybe it was alcohol in his system, maybe he had just held in his emotions so long that they finally had to burst out ... he didn't know. But something caused him to turn to the Headmistress with open concern in his eyes. "I'll hurt her."

Minerva furrowed her brow. "You don't know that."

Severus nodded. "Yes, I do. It's in my blood ... I'm not a nice person, Minerva, I never will be. And Hermione ... she's the complete opposite. She's too nice, too caring, too wonderful ..."

Minerva smiled, causing Severus to sigh and turn away again.

"I won't let her ruin her life for me," he decided.

She watched him take another drink and stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder. He tensed, but didn't pull away. "Just talk to her, Severus. Let her decide this with you ... that's all I ask." And with that she left, putting his wards back in place and walking down the corridor. _Next stop, Professor Granger's rooms. Albus, you have turned me into a meddling fool._

* * *

Samantha was asleep when Minerva stepped into Hermione's rooms, glancing around to see how she'd decorated.

"What did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked her, motioning for her to sit with her at the kitchen table.

Minerva situated herself comfortably before looking evenly at Hermione. "Severus."

Hermione looked down, her throat suddenly dry. "Um ... what about him?"

Minerva smiled softly. "I think you know."

Hermione blinked a few times. "Are you going to tell me that it's against school policy for teachers to ... er, see each other?"

Minerva had a chuckle at that. "No, you needn't worry about that, Hermione."

The younger girl sighed. "Well, that's sort of a relief. I guess that means he can't use that as an excuse for not wanting to see me anymore."

Minerva placed a hand on Hermione arm. "What happened with you two?"

Hermione felt odd talking about this with her old teacher, but she answered the question. "He got freaked out," she said honestly. "I mean, I can't blame him. Me and Samantha are a pretty big package deal, I wouldn't expect him to want to take that on."

"Don't tell me you're giving up?" Minerva asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't want to, but I don't want to make him uncomfortable, or make him do something that he doesn't want to do. I don't really know what my feelings are for him, Minerva, but if this is any indication of where this is all going, then maybe it's better to get out now before anyone gets hurt. Especially Samantha."

"She does seem quite fond of him," Minerva commented.

Hermione smiled sadly. "Yeah ... a little too fond." She paused before confessing, "She asked Severus to be her father. I didn't know until after ... but now it's out there, and I guess he's made his choice now."

Minerva's eyebrows rose at that, and in the back of her mind she marveled at the fact that the only one of them who had the guts to go after what they wanted was the three-year old. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Hermione answered, "A little. I'd like to talk more about it with him, but I don't think he'll give me the chance. I mean, I don't expect him to just throw himself into a relationship with me and Samantha, or even just me, but I was hoping he'd a least give us a chance." Hermione shook her head. "It was stupid, I guess."

Minerva shook her own head, rubbing Hermione's arm. "Hermione, there is nothing stupid about wanting to have a relationship with someone who so obviously makes you happy."

Hermione wished it were that simple. She was struck with a curious thought and glanced at the woman who'd brought her back to Hogwarts. "Why do you care so much about this, Minerva?"

Minerva smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I just want my staff to be happy, that's all."

Hermione didn't believe her for a second, but it was late and she was tired, so she accepted the answer, chatting with the older woman for a few more minutes before they both decided to call it a night.

Hermione lay in her bed that night, thinking over the last few months. So much had happened, so much had changed. So much had been resolved. She glanced over at her closet, thinking for the first time in a while about the box of unpleasant memories hidden on the highest shelf. She hadn't looked inside it since she'd shown it to Severus ... maybe that had been the start of the whole thing.

She didn't want her relationship with him - if there would ever be one - to have anything to do with what happened to her in the past.

* * *

Early the next morning, before Samantha or anyone else had woken up Hermione walked across the school grounds, looking for a place that was out of the way enough, but clear enough that she would have the space she needed. She had the box tucked under her arm while she walked, constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following her.

Once she found a place that was far enough away from the school as well as Hagrid's cabin she set the box down, sinking to her knees and nudging open the lid. She knew the items inside by heart, but as she looked at them now they seemed completely foreign to her. As though they had belonged to another person.

As she took each item out of the box, one by one, she realized that in a way, they had belonged to another person ... she was no longer the same person that she had been then, or even the person she'd been when she had first come back to Hogwarts.

She finally felt as though she could start fresh, put it all behind her.

Hermione ripped the box apart, setting it atop the pile and then pulled out her wand, and then a lighter. She glanced at the two, trying to decide which to use.

Was she a witch, or a muggle? Which life did she want? Magic had hurt her, it had been used against her in the worst way ... but had enough time passed for her to embrace the magical life again?

Hermione closed her eyes, grasping the two items in each of her hands. A cool, morning breeze tossed her hair about, sending a welcome chill throughout her body. She opened her eyes, gazing around at the place she currently called home. Not all of her memories growing up had been bad, but they hadn't compared to the memories she'd had while at Hogwarts. Even when they had been in actual mortal danger, Hermione's adventures with Harry and Ron had made her feel alive, had given her a purpose aside from "books and cleverness".

Hermione had been using her muggle heritage as a crutch for so long, had shut out so much magic from her life for three years.

The image of Samantha levitating that stick back to the giant squid filled her mind, and right after that came the memory of Samantha assaulting her father with tea and dinner servings with her impressive magic. She didn't want to rob her daughter of any opportunities she might have to further her skill and come into her powers.

Exhaling through her puffed-up mouth, Hermione slid the lighter into her back pocket, holding up her wand and lighting the box and all of its contents on fire, watching them burn and making sure that the fire did not spread. She allowed one tear, and one tear only to spill from her eyes as she allowed to let herself let go of all the pain and sorrow that had accompanied the memories in that box, and when the flames finally died out and there was nothing left, she cleared the area with a flick of her wand, turned around and made her way back into the school to get herself ready for the day.

If she had looked up while she was walking, she might have seen Severus Snape watching her from the Astronomy Tower, his face unable to hide the emotions he was feeling.

* * *

_End of chapter twenty-three. _

_Well, what did you guys think? _

_Only a couple chapters left, I think. I want to end it with 25, but I'll see how it goes. I may need more to get the ending that I want. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	24. Chapter 24

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Twenty-Four. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks for the great feedback guys, you rock. _

_I'll respond to come reviews here: _

_**CeliaEquus:**__ It's a good guess, and entirely possible, but I won't let you sweat ... no, that's not what he thought she was doing. He knew what she was doing, he just didn't want her to know he was there. _

_**lucyferr:**__ All I really have to say is: if a story is boring you, then don't read it. I might end this at 25, I might not. It is my story, and I'm the one setting the pace. _

_**Prissz:**__ Thank you, yes I did mean to write "against". I hate little typos like that, but I almost never catch all of them. Stay sharp! _

_**WhiteTiger101:**__ If I finish it at 25, the couple chapters will have to be really long, which would be fine, I'm sure. However, I do plan on doing a sequel, whether it's a one-shot, or a couple chapters. I hope you check it out once I post it! _

_**natsuBoshi:**__ Hehe, yes. I do love my cliffhangers. I'm glad you're enjoying the story! _

_**pandaheart:**__ Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying the story, as well as Samantha's character. I pretty much fluked that one off ... I based a lot of her interactions and mannerisms on the things that my three-year old niece did. And yes, there are a few typos that I need to fix. I'm glad that people point them out, otherwise I don't go back to previous chapters to check. _

_**Readerforlife:**__ It was the box that Hermione kept under her bed before; that held all the memories of her rape. _

_**Nilakshna:**__ Thanks for the great review! Without giving too much away ... I always write happy endings. What's the point of taking someone else's work and twisting it to your own desires and fantasies if it doesn't all work out in the end? Anywhoo, thanks for the great review, I hope you like the rest of the story!_

_**Atiannala:**__ I know the feeling ... I had to switch emails on the fanfic site, 'cause for some reason, my one account has stopped receiving anything to do with fanfic dot net. I'm glad you're liking the story, and the part where Samantha's vision changed. It seemed appropriate, given her age and development. Hope you like this chapter!_

_**Everyone else:**__ Thanks for reading, and especially for reviewing. You guys just keep feeding my ego, and make me wanna write more and more and more! _

_With that in mind, sorry for the long wait! I try to stick with one fandom at a time, but the ADHD in me won't let me stay focused on one topic for very long. I do promise to finish this, hopefully soon. _

_Alright, without much further ado ... here's the next chapter! _

_I hope you guys like it, I know I'll writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Severus sulked about in his lab, working on the potions for Madam Pomfrey, as well as the purchase order he had for St Mungo's. He'd been falling behind on his duties of late, and it seemed now was as good a time as any to catch up. He enjoyed the solace and peacefulness of his potions lab, knowing it would be the one place where he could escape Hermione Granger, and all of his whirling thoughts about her.

Potions-making required concentration and consistency, and therefore there was no room for his mind to wander; for him to get lost in his thoughts.

He had finished the numbing potions, Skelo-Gro, and Dreamless Sleep potion, and was moving on to a burn-relief potion when there was a knock on his door. Severus sighed, setting down the knife he was using and moving to the door. "What?" he asked, and then saw the shorter individual standing outside his door. "Oh," he spoke quietly. "Um, what is it?"

Hermione cleared her throat, straightened her back, and met his eyes with as little hesitation and reproach as she could. "I'm here to start my apprenticeship."

Severus stared down at her. "What?"

Hermione pulled a piece of paper from her robes. "My Potions apprenticeship begins today - with you."

Severus blinked, momentarily flustered. "You don't have an apprenticeship with me."

Hermione held out the piece of paper she'd dug out of her pocket. "I do now."

Severus took the paper from her hand, looking it over with scrutinizing eyes. "I didn't sign this."

"Minerva said you'd talked to her about it before, and you approved me then," Hermione reminded him. "She said that your verbal 'okay' was all the consent she needed. I guess that means you're stuck with me."

Severus looked from her to the paper, and back again. "Why are you doing this?" he wanted to know.

Hermione gave him the academic reason, skipping right over the other one. "Because you were right when you said that I could do so much more than teach Muggle Studies. While I don't plan on giving up that position, I've decided to make a proactive move, and further my education."

Severus eyed her suspiciously. "And I am to believe that?"

Hermione shrugged, moving past him into the room. "You may believe whatever you choose to, Severus. But _I_ believe your time could be better spent providing me with an orientation, rather than holding the door open like a life-sized doorstop."

Severus flared his nostrils, closing the door harder than necessary and turning around. Steeling his gaze and forcing an unexpressive look on his face, he spoke, "Very well. Do try to keep up."

...

By the end of January, Severus had still only let Hermione observe the making of his potions, and cut/chop/slice his ingredients as he needed. He informed her that that was normal proactive for his apprenticeships, and he'd made it perfectly clear that he was attempting to keep things between them as professional as possible.

Hermione wasn't giving up, though. Whatever her feelings were for Severus, they were real and they were there. She wouldn't ignore them. It took a month, or a year, or more, she would convince him that she wasn't backing down. She would convince him to give her a chance - to give _them_ a chance.

Severus had started returning to the Great Hall for meals towards the end of January, though he would always grow uncomfortable when Samantha started asking him questions, or he saw the bracelet on her wrist.

Hermione kept her necklace hidden under her robes, but there had been times when she'd caught him staring at her, trying to see if she still wore it.

Hermione didn't exactly love the slow pace, but if that was what it took to get their relationship back on track - and convince him that she wasn't about to give up easily - then that was just how it was going to be.

Finally, in mid-February, Severus allowed her to assist him more actively in the potion-making. However, it was nearer to the end of the month before he allowed her to make potions by herself - under his watchful eye, of course. She performed splendidly, never missed a step, never made an error, never got mixed up and caused a spill, or a cauldron to blow up - as apparently most of his former apprentices had done. Hermione figured that was why he was so cautious with the slow pace of the schedule.

Things were going moving along perfectly well, considering. Until the evening of March nineteenth, that was.

Hermione could barely concentrate, despite the fact that she made the potion once before in Slughorn's class. Amorentia. Hermione could tell that Severus hadn't wanted to make the potion with her, or even watch her make it. But, it was on the list of potions she was required to make accurately in order for her to succeed in the Potions Apprenticeship program, so neither of them really had a choice in the matter.

Hermione sliced and sifted, feeling his eyes boring into her from where he was standing. She denied herself the desire to look at him. All of her energy needed to go into completing the potion.

Her hands wanted to shake, and as she forced them to be still, she gripped what she thought were the proper ingredients, and prepared to drop them into the simmering cauldron.

"No, stop!" Severus hissed, lunging at her.

Hermione dropped the ingredients in shock, turning to look at him. She had a split-second view of black robes filling her vision, and then she was tackled to the ground. Hermione's immediate response was fear, as she hadn't been trapped underneath a man since _that night_. But she quickly realized that it was Severus Snape on top of her, and he must have a good reason for jumping on her like that.

And in fact, he did.

Barely a second later, there was the unmistakable sound of the potion boiling over dramatically, and then the light-pink mess exploded across the room, covering as many surfaces as it could reach, including the two inhabitants on the floor. The hot liquid splattered over them. While he took the brunt of it, some fell onto Hermione's hands - which were clutched around his shoulder blades - and soaked into her head and on her forehead. It was hot, but a simple burn salve would take care of that. She wondered about his back, though.

"Are you okay?" he muttered against the hollow of her neck.

Hermione tried to ignore the feeling of his weight on top of her body, finding it difficult - mostly because she wasn't exactly uncomfortably, aside from the burning on her hands and forehead. "I think so. What about you? Your back ..."

Severus twitched against her when her fingers moved from his shoulder blades, to the middle of his spine. "I'll be fine," he told her, still not moving.

The feeling of his hot breath against her neck was driving her mad. It was then that she realized what potion _exactly_ had spilled on them. _Oh boy,_ Hermione thought. _This is going to be awkward when the effects wear off._ She waited, pinned beneath him, for either of them to begin acting "inappropriately", considering it was a love potion that had covered them and all.

The seconds stretched on, until a minute later, Severus eased himself off her body, standing upright with some effort. He was clearly in pain. "You may gather your things and return to your rooms, Professor Granger," he told her. "I will clean up this mess."

Hermione stood, glancing around the room. Her knees were a bit wobbly. "Nonsense. This was my fault, I should be the one to clean it up."

Severus shook his head, seeming to be working very hard to restrain himself. "I do not require your assistance." He pulled out his wand, beginning a string of incantations to remove the remnants of the love potion from his lab. He was fully aware of the effects that the potion should be having on him. The potion hadn't been finished, but all that had been left to add were the stabilizing and cooling agents. Hermione had inadvertently added the wrong ingredient, which had caused the potion not only to explode, but it should have strengthened it ten-fold. By all rights, they should be throwing cautions to the wind and shagging each other senseless, not arguing over who would clean up the mess.

Hermione retrieved her items, also wondering why the potion didn't seem to be effecting them as it should. Sure, she had the desire to pull the stubborn man towards her and kiss him into oblivion ... but she was able to resist the urge. Something was definitely off.

"As you can see, I do not need you here, _Miss_ Granger," Severus spoke again, wincing at the pain in his back. "Now, I'll ask you again to leave my lab."

Hermione could tell he was in pain. She had already cleared the potion off of her hands and head, getting as much out of her hair as she could. But, he hadn't been able to take care of his back.

She raised her wand, clearing the potion off of his back and carefully drying his robes.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, feeling a little bit of relief now that the hot potion wasn't stinging into his skin. But it was still burnt.

"Helping," Hermione answered swiftly, moving to his storage cupboard to retrieve a burn ointment. When she came back, he was still in the same place he'd been before. "You'll need to remove your robes."

It might have been an innocent request if it were anyone else, but with her ... "I can get Madam Pomfrey to do that."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So now I'm not allowed to tend to your wounds? Come on, Severus. I promise not to pounce on you," she declared stiffly. "Will you please remove your robes so I may get at your back? Would you not do the same for me?"

Severus gritted his teeth, debating with himself over the impropriety, and the pain in his back. "Fine," he ground out, summoning a stool and working the fastening on his robes. He was able to shrug the outer material off with relative ease, but as he got down to the tighter layers, they became more difficult to remove. Though his back screamed in protest, he refused to ask her for further help.

Hermione watched him struggle with the vest and shirts until she couldn't stand it any longer. She sighed heavily, stepping up in front of him and glaring at him pointedly. She watched him purse his lips, but he made no move to stop her. Hermione carefully tucked her thumbs under the shoulders of his vest, pushing it back and then sliding it carefully down his arms.

Severus kept his back as straight as possible, forcing himself to look away from her.

Next, Hermione set to work on his shirt. He'd managed to undo all of the buttons, but he hadn't gotten the cufflinks. Hermione grabbed one hand, removing the metal from it's slot and flipping open the sleeve. She set his hand down, slowly moving over to un-cuff the other one. She hadn't noticed her breathing change, but it was now coming out in shallow, slow, heated inhales and exhales.

Finally, she finished with his sleeves. Hermione released the air she'd stored in her mouth slowly, through puckered lips, and made the mistake of looking up at him.

He was trying very hard not to look at her, but every so often his eyes would stray back towards her, remaining on her form for only a half-second. But on one such glance, she happened to meet his eyes ... and then he was stuck.

Neither one of them could look away.

Hermione felt her heart flutter and then pound furiously in response. She made herself focus, bringing her hands up to remove his first shirt as she had his vest. The dark material fell off of his shoulders, clumping at his elbows. Severus remained perfectly still, so Hermione pulled down on his cuffs to remove the shirt fully. Once that was out of the way, set on the stool with the vest, Hermione glanced at his remaining shirt. It was similar to a muggle t-shirt, and since it had no buttons, Hermione knew she couldn't remove it without causing him more pain.

Unless she used magic.

Hermione pulled her wand out once more, pointing it at shirt. His eyes were wary, and Hermione willed herself to be accurate, and not remove ALL of his clothing. _"Divesto,"_ she whispered, and a second later his shirt was gone.

She was pleased to note that she'd only removed what she'd intended, but the rest of her was frozen at the sight of his bare chest. She'd seen his arms before, but never anything like this. Hermione had to bite back a gasp, taking in the mixture of muscles and scars. There were many of both.

Severus cleared his throat, breaking Hermione out of her trance.

"Um, would you rather sit, or stand?" she asked him in a wavering voice.

"Whichever would be easier for you," he spoke simply, though his voice was strained.

Hermione blinked, looking around the room. She remembered the stool he'd summoned, and quickly moved the clothes that she'd set on it. "I guess sitting would be easier."

He nodded almost imperceptibly, stepping towards the furniture and turning to sit so that his back was facing her.

Hermione shook her head about, attempting to clear her thoughts. _Just get on with it, Hermione_. She eased the thick potion out of its container, pouring a generous amount onto her hand. She then brought it up to the burnt, red skin of his back, carefully applying it to cover his entire back. Once she was satisfied that she had fully treated his back, she spread the potion onto his shoulders, and then, with nervous fingers, lifted his hair off of his neck so she could access the burnt skin there.

"I'm sorry," she spoke once she was finished.

Severus hoped she was talking about the potion. "A margin of error is expected with any Potions Apprentice," he informed her. "You will simply have to redo it next week."

Hermione didn't relish the idea of repeating the experience, but knew it was necessary.

Severus groped for his clothing, wishing to regain some sense of composure. He needed to get out of this situation as soon as possible so he could think. Something must have gone wrong with the potion, something he hadn't noticed. He slid his robes on over his otherwise naked chest, shrinking his other garments and slipping them into his pocket. When he finally turned to look at her, he noticed that her forehead was red - as he was sure his back was - and instinctively reached for the burn-relief potion. His fingers were millimeters from hers when he stopped, his hand paused mid-air.

Hermione met his eyes, and after a second, he pulled his hand back.

"You should put some on your head," he told her. "And be sure to work it into your scalp."

Hermione nodded.

"You can do that in your rooms," he told her. "Have a house elf return it to me tomorrow."

Hermione wanted to ask him why the Amorentia hadn't affected them, but she didn't think he would give her an answer if he even knew. She gathered her supplies, glanced at him over her shoulder once more, and then left the lab, returning to her rooms to tend to her own burns.

...

Hermione smiled down at the baby in her arms, who was making happy, gurgling noises.

"Come on, dish!" Ginny exclaimed, finally having gotten Samantha down for her nap. "I want all the sordid details!"

Hermione sighed, content to coo at the month-old baby. "There's nothing to tell, really," Hermione began.

Ginny planted her hands on her hips. "Woman, I wasn't born yesterday. I can see you're holding out on me."

Little baby Lily pawed at the locket hanging down from Hermione's neck, attempting to grasp the shiny metal.

"Well, it's just ... have you ever heard of someone not being affected by a love potion?" she asked her friend.

Ginny gaped at her. "Don't tell me you tried to slip one into his drink?"

Hermione would have smacked her if her hands hadn't been occupied. "Of course not! One of my tasks as his apprentice is to successfully make Amorentia. I screwed up on the last step - I think - and the potion exploded all over us."

Ginny waited expectantly for all the dirty happenings, but Hermione just shook her head.

"Nothing happened, though. I mean, we didn't act any differently," she informed her. "I've been trying to figure out why, but from what I can tell, no one's ever experienced _no_ effect from a love potion. I've been researching, but I've found absolutely nothing."

"Well, how long has it been since it happened?" Ginny wondered.

"A few days."

"And have you spoken to him about it?" the redhead wondered next.

Hermione shook her head. "He barely talks to me as it is. He hasn't even come to the Great Hall for meals since it happened."

Ginny took in the information. "Well, if he won't tell you, then you should go to someone who will. Someone who's been around for a while, and might know about these things."

Hermione chewed her lip, thinking. The first person that popped into her mind was Dumbledore. He always knew everything. "You think I should visit Dumbledore's portrait?"

Ginny chuckled. "No, I was thinking someone a bit more solid than that."

Hermione waited.

"Professor McGonagall, of course," Ginny stated in exasperation. "She is the Headmistress. Even if she doesn't know, Snape would _have_ to tell her. So either way, you'll get to find out what's what."

Hermione considered that. "You know, that just might work, Ginny. Thanks."

Her friend smiled triumphantly, watching Hermione play with her daughter.

...

Hermione rapped on the door to the Headmistress's office, waiting patiently.

"Come in," Minerva's voice resounded from inside, and Hermione pushed the door open. "Ah, Hermione!" Minerva greeted. "Have a seat."

Hermione did as she was requested, sitting in a chair by her desk.

"What can I do for you?" the older woman asked.

"Well, I had a question. I've been trying to find some information for a few days now, but I don't seem to be making any headway," Hermione began.

Minerva looked her over. "Does this have anything to do with why Severus has been avoiding the Great Hall?"

Hermione nodded.

Minerva sat back in her chair, getting comfortable. "I guess our apprenticeship hasn't been working out as we'd hoped?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not exactly."

"Alright, then," Minerva spoke. "Let's have it. What is it that you wish to know?"

Hermione sighed, fiddling with her fingers, and wondering where to begin. "Well, we were working on Amorentia, and -"

"Oh my," Minerva interrupted, making a show of being flustered. "Are you sure I want to hear about this?"

Hermione smiled slightly, feeling a little more relaxed. "Nothing like that," Hermione assured her. "But that's what I was wondering about. See, there was an accident, and as a result, both Severus and I were exposed to the potion. But nothing happened. We didn't do anything, we weren't compelled to ... do anything," Hermione recounted, feeling a blush rising in her cheeks. "I'm just not understanding how that would happen. I thought that love potions were supposed to draw people together. I've never heard of one that didn't affect people at all. Have you?"

Minerva tapped her fingers on the desk, considering all the facts. "Well ... perhaps."

Hermione sat forward in her seat. "Yes?"

"It's a bit awkward, Hermione," Minerva stated. "I mean, I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of your relations with Severus, but, well ..."

Hermione resisted the urge to tell her "boss" to get on with it.

"Well, it's been my experience that when a _love_ potion doesn't affect two people, it's because, well ... they're already _in love_."

Hermione blinked, feeling her body sag and her eyes glaze over.

...

_End of chapter twenty-four. _

_Again, sorry for the long wait. _

_What did you guys think of this one? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	25. Chapter 25

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic._

_Chapter Twenty-Five._

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1._

_..._

_A/N: I am so, SO sorry for the incredibly long wait. Once I get started on a new fandom, it's nearly impossible for me to go back. But, I promise I'll try to finish this fic up soon! _

_I'll respond to some reviews here: _

_**Nutters4Potter:**__ Hmm ... does Severus know? Hehe ... well, the answer is obvious, but I'll pretend like I'm keeping you in suspense ... _

_**green24:**__ Yes ... definitely thrust in her face. Considering it IS Hermione, she would just have to be confronted with absolute logic, instead of just trusting what she's feeling. Thanks for the review! _

_**kehlencrow:**__ That's probably part of the reason ... we'll have to read more to find out the rest! Thanks for the review!_

_**babyscardinal:**__ Yes! Thank you! That is exactly what I meant it to be when I wrote it! I'm so happy that I didn't have to write an explainer into this chapter! Yes, considering these two, and their ever-logical brains - of course this was the one sure-fire way to get them to see it! _

_**Angie38:**__ Wow ... I'm thrilled that you're enjoying my story that much that you think of it outside of the fanfic realm. Thanks for the review!_

_**Jinxie4:**__ I always love getting new reviewers! I'm happy you're enjoying the story. Don't worry, we will delve a bit more into Samantha's feelings about it all in this chapter. Thanks for the review!_

_**MyCatSammy:**__ I know, I'm sorry for the long wait! I promise I will be finishing this story, hopefully soon!_

_**Everyone else: **__Thanks for the amazing reviews! _

_Alrighty, so here's the next chapter. I've given up on my desire to end it on a round number, so it'll probably only be a couple more until the end. But don't worry, I already have the storyline thought out for the sequel, so hopefully it won't be too long until that one's out. _

_Well, without much further ado ... let's get on with it, shall we?_

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!_

...

Severus paced back and forth in his rooms, his mind racing and spinning. _There must be some other explanation,_ he reasoned. _It's complete and utter madness to think that ... this is merely an infatuation, nothing more. You've been caught up in the romanticism, and let yourself get carried away. There's no need to be foolish, and believe that this is actually ... love._

Severus ran a hand through his hair, resisting the urge to rip the silky tendrils out of his scalp. When had things gotten so complicated?

_The second that little girl came trotting out of Hagrid's hut, and called her "Mummy", that's when._

He nearly growled in frustration, thinking back to the weeks before the school year had begun. Would all this be happening if he'd just kept his nose out of her business? If he'd never walked back with them to their rooms, or gone inside to drink juice with Samantha? If he hadn't gotten so damn nosy about finding out what was in that box? If he hadn't used Legilimency to find out who had raped her? If he hadn't tried to bring her parents back into her life, or gone out of his way to be nice to Samantha, or done any of the endless list of things that he'd done since she came back into his life?

He could spend hours asking himself these questions, Severus knew.

To stave off more relentless inner inquiries, he moved into his study and poured himself a large drink. He needed to clear his mind.

...

Hermione wandered the halls on her patrol that night, thinking about what Minerva had told her. _Already in love?_ She couldn't fathom it. Not just on her end ... she'd definitely begun to wonder if she was truly in love with Severus Snape, Potions Master, and notorious bat that haunted the dungeons. But for him to be in love with her as well?

It was only a theory, and not the theory of a Potions Master or Mistress ... but it was a sound theory. It was logical.

Even so, she couldn't wrap her mind around it. Severus Snape, in love with her? Why her? What made her so special? Hermione shook her head, turning along the corridor to make a round of the library. It had always brought her so much comfortable and solitude as a student, she hoped it would do the same now.

She thought of her daughter, sleeping soundly in her room, with Dobby watching over her with a proud, puffed out chest. As she moved through the still stacks of the lonely library, she thought of everything that had happened in the last eight months, all leading up to her current situation.

Hermione sighed, fingering the locket that was tucked under her robes. She hadn't been able to bring herself to take it off, even though her relationship with Severus over the past few months had been tense at best.

Samantha was feeling the loss of his presence as well, as he only spoke to her at meals now, and rarely came around their rooms unless it was absolutely necessary. She would break into random crying fits at the most unexpected moments, and it was a nightmare lately to try and get her to eat and go to sleep on time. Dobby would have his hands full tonight.

Hermione trailed her fingers along the spines of each book she passed as she made her way through the stacks, breathing in the glorious smells of paper, ink, and a heavy scent of alcohol.

Hermione frowned, sniffing again at the powerful aroma that was filling the room. Glancing around, Hermione was surprised at what she saw. "What are you doing here?"

Severus glanced around at the sound of her voice, his face falling when he saw that it was her. "Merlin, can I not get one night's respite from your presence?" His eyes rolled up to the heavens, his voice deep and slurred.

Hermione took a step closer, narrowing her eyes. "You're drunk."

"Your powers of observation are extraordinary," he replied dryly, leaning back against the stacks.

Hermione looked all around them, hopeful that there weren't actually any students in the library after hours.

"So, you'll be forcing one of your emotional speeches on me, then?" Severus inquired, pushing himself off the bookshelf he was resting against and stepping towards her. "Tell me how good a man I am, and how my past doesn't matter?"

Hermione turned her head back to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not exactly in the speech-giving mood, Severus."

"That's _Professor Snape_," he replied, glaring down at her through half-lidded eyes.

"What, asshole was taken?" Hermione bit back.

Severus blinked, staring at her.

"I am so sick of your emotional constipation," she told him, feeling her heart swell with a bravery that she hadn't known was within her. "We both know exactly how you feel about me - and how I feel about you," she added, nearly losing her nerve. "I'm so sorry that it took an exploding potion to open our eyes, but I am not going to apologize for how I feel about you, dammit."

Severus leaned towards her, placing an unsteady hand on the bookshelf nearest to her head. "You shouldn't speak to me like that," he warned her, his face inches from hers.

Hermione flared her nostrils in response, willing herself not to be afraid. If he weren't drunk off his arse, he wouldn't be saying such things to her. "I'm not afraid of you, _Severus_," she informed him, jutting her chin out defiantly.

Severus's jaw clenched as he stared down at her, breathing the musky scent of stale alcohol through his nose. "Why the bloody hell not? What do I need to do to convince you that I am dangerous?"

Hermione could see where this was going, and refused to give him the leverage. She brought her hands up between them, planting them firmly on his chest, and then shoving him back with all her might. She watched him stumble backwards, his back falling into the shelf behind him. "I know exactly what you're capable of, but you seem to have underestimated me."

Snape felt his watch heating up, and glanced up at Hermione from where he was slumped against the bookshelf. "You're still wearing it."

It took a second for Hermione to realize what he meant. "It was a gift," she replied in explanation, fighting the urge to hold it against her chest. A part of her wondered if he would demand to have it back.

"It was a mistake," he replied, looking down at his feet.

Hermione shook her head, now fighting the tears that threatened to stir up in her eyes. "No, it wasn't. It was you."

"You don't know me that well," he told her.

"I know you well enough," Hermione stated, stepping towards him this time. "I know you better than most people might, and that's what's scaring you. You're afraid of getting close to me, afraid of hurting us ... well, guess what, Severus? You have hurt us. Don't you see what this has done to Samantha? She loves you with her whole heart, and you're breaking it."

"All the more reason why I should stay away," he pushed back, standing up straight.

Hermione shook her head, trying to figure out some other way to get through to him. Her words weren't getting through to him, her gestures weren't getting through to him, spending the last three months in close quarters with him every other day certainly wasn't getting through to him. Sighing, Hermione gritted her teeth and flared her nostrils, breathing heavily. A second later, her hand left her side and struck him flat across his face.

Severus's eyes widened in response, staring down at her with a heated, surprised expression on his usually guarded face.

"Your 'staying away' is what's hurting her, you insufferable, stubborn arse!" she announced furiously. Another slap echoed against his face, as her anger and frustration spurred her on. Hermione wasn't sure how many more hits he would endure before he reacted. "For someone so brilliant, you can be incredibly daft sometimes. I don't want you to climb atop the highest tower and scream your love for us at the top of your lungs! I don't even need you to say it! I just need you to stop pulling away from us for caring about you."

Still he said nothing, just stared down at her.

Hermione nearly snarled in frustration, smacking his sturdy chest with her now fisted hands. "Just say _something_, dammit!"

Severus allowed her to pound on him for a short while before he stopped her, his hands coming up to grab her wrists. He bit back the urge to tuck the hair that had fallen loose from her bun behind her ear.

Hermione stared up into his eyes, willing him to make some sort of move, while at the same time wishing he would put an end to all of this so that she could move on, and save what was left of her shattered heart.

"Hermione," he spoke slowly, his gaze moving from her lips to her eyes. "I -"

At that moment, Dobby apparated next to them with a sharp _pop!_ "Miss Samantha's a-needing you, Miss Hermione."

Hermione blinked, tearing her eyes away from Severus. She was hyper aware of the position they were in, and pulled her wrists free of his grip, straightening herself up. "What?"

"She's havin' a dreadful fit, she is," Dobby told her. "Screaming and crying, Dobby doesn't know what to do."

Hermione's eyes widened, and she made to leave the library immediately.

Dobby stopped her with a small hand on her leg. "Dobby will get Miss Hermione there faster, he will. And Mister Snape, too."

Before they could say anything, Dobby reached a second hand towards Severus, and with another loud _pop!_ they were gone.

...

They arrived in Hermione's rooms a split-second later, where Samantha's cries could be heard instantly. Forgetting about the other two, Hermione rushed into her daughter's room.

Samantha was in the midst of a terrible nightmare, drenched in sweat, tossing and turning in her small bed.

Hermione was at her side in a heartbeat, sliding onto the bed and placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Sammy, wake up," she urged, shaking her shoulders gently.

Samantha's screams only grew louder, her little body fighting whatever terrors had filled her unconscious mind.

Hermione pulled her daughter off the bed, drawing her into her arms and rocking her. "Samantha, it's okay, Sweetie. Come on, wake up," she spoke in a soothing voice, rubbing circles on her back with one hand.

"Mummy!" she cried out, which soon turned into a sob as she started to wake up. Samantha pulled her tear-stained face from her mother's shoulder to look into her eyes. "Mummy, it hurts!" she cried out.

Hermione brushed Samantha's damp hair out of her eyes, frowning down at her. "What hurts, baby?"

Samantha's lip trembled as she pouted. "My ... here," she whimpered, putting a hand on her chest, right above her heart. "It hurts!"

Hermione closed her eyes, pulling her daughter back into her eyes as sadness seeped its way into her own body. "I know, Sweetie. It's okay." She rocked her some more, trying to make her feel better. "What made your heart hurt?" she asked her daughter, knowing the answer.

"I w-was calling to Daddy, but he wouldn't turn - turn around," Samantha told her, her voice breaking with whimpers and heaving breaths. "Why does Severus hate me now, Mummy?"

Hermione opened her mouth to tell her that he didn't, that it wasn't true, but a voice at her door interrupted her.

"I don't hate you, Samantha," Severus told her honestly, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Samantha blinked her wet, tired eyes at the man, the first time she'd seen him outside of the Great Hall in weeks. "Then how come you left?"

Hermione turned her head to meet Severus's eyes, willing him not to make the situation worse.

Severus sighed, wondering if he would be where he was if he'd taken a bottle of Dreamless Sleep, instead of a bottle of Firewhiskey. "I was ..." he trailed off after a moment, his flight instinct trying to overpower him. "I was ... afraid."

Samantha sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeved arm. "Afraid?"

Severus nodded.

"Of what?" the little girl wanted to know.

"Of ..." _Of what? Of hurting her? Of not being good enough? Of getting hurt? Of screwing things up? Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty._ Severus's thoughts threatened to make him turn heel and run, but he fought it, looking at the small, sad girl in Hermione's arms. "Of getting too close."

"Why?" Samantha asked.

Severus brought a hand to his brow. _Should've known she wouldn't make this easy for me._ He almost began to wonder if someone had slipped a little Veritaserum into his Firewhiskey, as he was filled with the urge to tell her everything."Because, Samantha ... I -"

Hermione interrupted him, adjusting her daughter in her arms. "Don't say something you're going to regret in the morning," she warned him, determined to protect her daughter from further heartbreak.

The older man pursed his lips, moving his hand to brush his hair out of his face. "Because, I ..." Severus swallowed back the lump that was rising in his throat, never having had so much trouble putting a sentence together. "Because I love you, Samantha. And I didn't want to hurt you."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, the shock of hearing the words come out of his mouth nearly being too much for her. Samantha remained still in her arms for a long moment, staring back at Severus. The room was filled with an almost unbearable silence.

Severus, convinced that he'd said the wrong thing, shifted uncomfortably. He turned to leave when Samantha's voice halted him in his tracks.

"Wait," she called out, wriggling out of her mother's grasp. Her feet padded against the floor as she traveled across to the doorway, looking up at him. She was hardly a fearsome creature, in her pink, bunny pajamas and large, white slippers, but Severus had never been so worried in his life. She stopped in front of him, raising her hand with her pointer finger sticking out. She curled it, motioning for him to come down to her level.

Severus complied, crouching down slowly.

Once he was at eye-level, Samantha gripped his robes with one hand, clenching her tiny fist around the material tightly. "You did hurt me," she told him, sniffing once for emphasis. "You made me very sad."

Severus nodded apologetically, opening his mouth to voice his regrets, but she silenced him with her next words.

"But, since I love you too, I forgive you," she informed him. Not missing a beat, she leaned forward and pulling him closer at the same time, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

Severus dropped one knee to the floor to keep his balance, blinking his eyes in surprise.

Samantha turned abruptly, returning to her bed to fetch her mother.

Hermione accepted Samantha's hand in her own, following her daughter to where Severus was standing up.

Samantha gripped his hand too, leading them out of the room. "Come on," she told them simply, heading for Hermione's room.

"Samantha, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, managing to find her voice.

"My bed is too small for all of us," Samantha explained in a matter-of-fact voice, pulling them into the bedroom.

They heard the telltale _pop!_ of Dobby apparating away, leaving the three of them alone.

Samantha tugged them forward until she reached the edge of the mattress, finally letting go of their hands. She jumped up onto the bed from the end, crawling across to the headboard and pulling down the covers. She turned back and looked at them expectantly. "Well? Come _on_!"

Hermione ignored Severus's pleading looks for an out, sliding her robes off, leaving her in a pair of comfy pants and a t-shirt. She kicked her shoes off by the side of the bed, sliding under the covers next to Samantha.

Samantha smiled softly at her mother, looking expectantly back at Severus. She patted the bed next to her, staring him down.

Severus pursed his lips, flicking off the light in the room with a silent spell. After another moment, he slid off his own robes and shoes, leaving him in his shirt, vest, pants, and socks. He hesitated for another moment before he made his way over to the opposite side that Hermione had went to, next to Samantha. He glanced between the two females before he slid under the covers that Samantha had already pulled back.

Hermione watched silently as her daughter lay tucked between the two of him, her tiny arms wrapped around Severus's larger one, as though to ensure that he couldn't escape again. She lay awake, stroking her daughter's hair a few times. She could see Severus's eyes looking back at her in the dark room, but with Samantha between them, she didn't say anything just yet. She only hoped that he wouldn't regret his decision to stay, come morning.

...

_End of chapter twenty-five. _

_Again, I am TERRIBLY SORRY for the long wait, I can't even believe how long it's been since I updated this. I'll do my best to make up for it! _

_What did you guys think of this chapter? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...!_


	26. Chapter 26

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Twenty-Six. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Wow, thanks for all the amazing, fast reviews! I'm so glad that you guys haven't given up on this story! Thanks for sticking with me! _

_I think it'll be two more chapters - including this one - and then that'll be it, and I'll move on to the sequel. _

_Without a whole lot of ado, here's the next chapter! _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

Hermione didn't get much sleep that night. She couldn't make her body relax well enough - with Severus within arm's reach - to sleep soundly. It was for that reason why she was wide awake at half past six in the morning, staring at his form lying cuddled against Samantha on the bed.

The alcohol in his system had made it much easier for him to fall into a steady slumber, but Hermione knew that wouldn't last. He would wake soon enough, and then the real drama would start.

She doubted he'd been drunk enough to forget what had happened last night, or where he was. But, he might just be sober enough to walk out and pretend none of it had ever happened. She wouldn't let him, though. He'd told Samantha that he loved her, after hearing her quite clearly call him "Daddy". He didn't get to just walk away from that.

Before Hermione could formulate any sort of plan in her head for what she was going to say to him, his body stiffened, and his eyes cracked open. He was awake.

Severus looked around, noting the different feel from his own mattress, and the distinct pressure of another body against his. His eyes flickered down to see a mass of brown hair tucked against his chest, a light, snoring sound emanating from beneath the entanglement of hair. Severus blinked, his eyes raising immediately to meet the open, brown ones of Hermione Granger.

For a long moment, neither of them said a word, just lay there, staring at one another. Severus was speechless, and Hermione didn't know what to say. Where did they go from here?

Severus could only think of one thing, and moved to slide off the mattress, unable to vocalize what he was thinking or feeling. He needed to get out of there.

Hermione's hand was on his wrist in an instant, stopping him. She shook her head carefully, not wanting to wake her sleeping daughter. "No."

Severus stared back at her, feeling as though her hand was burning the skin on his wrist. "I can't -"

"You don't get to just walk out," she told him determinedly. "There are no take-backs with kids, Severus. You told her ..." She trailed off, not wanting to make him even more uncomfortable. "You can't take back what you said. You can't leave again."

Severus sighed, waiting for her to pull her hand away.

She did after another few seconds, convinced that he wasn't going to run.

Laying on his left side with Samantha curled up against him, Severus brought his right hand up to his face, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I ... apologize for my behavior last night," he told her, unable to meet her eyes. "It was unforgivable."

"It was definitely a different side of you," Hermione conceded.

"I'm not sure how I even wound up in the library," Severus admitted. "I am sorry if I frightened you. It won't happen again."

Hermione sighed, needing to do something with her hands. She settled for rubbing Samantha's back softly. "Would you stop treating me like I'm some delicate piece of China that's going to break?" she asked in a quiet voice, mindful of her snoozing daughter. "I can handle it."

"You shouldn't have to," he told her.

"Maybe that's true, but I could say the same for you," Hermione replied. "You shouldn't have to have gone through all the things you have in your life, but you have. Bad things happen, Severus. We move on as best as we can."

He nodded, knowing that she was right.

Before he could speak, Hermione added, "But it's easier if we move on _together_."

Severus sighed, shaking his head. "I don't understand you."

Hermione frowned at that, shifting her head on her pillow. She brought her arm up, bending it at the elbow so that she could lean on her hand. "What don't you understand?"

"Everything," Severus admitted. "I don't understand how you could still be so optimistic and hopeful, after everything ..." He glanced down at Samantha, resisting the urge to brush her hair out of her face. "There is so much about you that I just don't understand."

Hermione shrugged. "So, ask me."

Severus was silent for a moment, staring back at her. "Ask? Just ... ask?"

"Yeah," Hermione replied.

"Just like that?"

Hermione had to roll her eyes. "_Just like that_," she promised.

_Well, that's an interesting idea,_ Severus pondered. _No sneaking around, no spying, no searching for hidden meanings, or going behind her back to try and find the truth? Just ... ask?_ "So, what should I ask?" he wondered aloud.

Hermione shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

The smallest traces of a grin could be seen of Severus's face, if you knew where to look. "Everything."

...

They talked for nearly two hours, Severus wanting to learn everything he could about Hermione Granger. Hermione was only too willing to tell him everything he wanted to know, so long as he reciprocated.

He told her about his father, and why he had left the Room of Requirement so suddenly, without explanation. He told her everything that Tobias Snape had done to him, and how he'd sworn that he would never do that to his children. It had seemed only logical to ensure that never happen by never having children of his own. Even though a strong part of him was telling him to stop talking and run, he fought his urge to flee. Opening himself up to her, with Samantha snoring into his chest ... it was as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

Hermione was thankful that it was the weekend, and they would have classes again until Monday morning. They didn't need to get up early, or even rush to the Great Hall for breakfast. They could stay in bed until they were needed for patrol.

He asked about her happiest moments and greatest fears, asked her to tell him about Samantha; what she'd been like as a baby, and a young toddler. Hermione happily told him all about her little girl, a smile on her face.

The girl in question began stirring a little after eight o'clock, releasing her grip on Severus's shirt to roll over onto her back. "Mummy?" Samantha mumbled, winking her eyes open.

"Hey, Sweetie," Hermione greeted, brushing her daughter's messy hair out of her face. "Good morning."

Samantha scrunched up her face, reaching her arms above her head to stretch her body back and forth. Her right fist bumped Severus's nose, and she blinked in surprise, looking over at him. "Hi," she said, staring up at him.

Not knowing what else to say, Severus replied, "Hello."

Samantha grinned, leaning up to kiss him on his cheek again. She rolled over, giving her mother a kiss as well, before jumping up off the bed and trotting out of the room in search of the bathroom.

"Is she always going to do that?" Severus wondered, bringing a hand to his cheek.

Hermione didn't even try to stop the smile that slipped onto her face. "Get used to it."

Severus nodded silently, gazing at Hermione. It had been a long time since he'd been alone in bed with a woman, never mind having the opportunity to wake up to someone so beautiful and caring ... and forgiving.

Hermione broke the silence, clearing her throat. "I should probably summon a house elf to bring breakfast," she stated, pulling the covers off of her body and slipping out of the bed.

Severus stood with her, glancing at his robes on the floor. His brain told him that he should make some sort of excuse and leave, but something else was holding him back - was it his heart? "I'm sure I could make a suitable breakfast, if you have the supplies."

Hermione glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. "You want to cook us breakfast?"

Severus shrugged. "Consider it an apology meal."

Hermione sighed, wondering if he was ever going to let himself off the hook - for anything.

...

"If this is your idea of an apology breakfast, then I just might have to hold this over your head for many, _many_ years," Hermione professed, rubbing her full stomach affectionately.

Severus's lips quirked in small, appreciative smile.

"What are we gonna do today, Mummy?" Samantha wondered, scooping up a mouthful of pancakes.

"You're going to that Carnival with Uncle Fred and Uncle George, remember?" Hermione answered her daughter.

"Oh, right," Samantha nodded, looking slightly disappointed.

"What's wrong, Sweetie?" Hermione wanted to know.

Samantha sighed dramatically. "I wanted to do something with Severus today."

Severus shifted slightly in his seat, poking at his own breakfast.

"Well, you don't want to let down your Uncles, do you?" Hermione asked her daughter. "They've been looking forward to this for a couple weeks."

Samantha shook her head. "No, I don't ..."

Hermione glanced at Severus before she spoke, "Maybe Severus will read you a bedtime story when you get home. Would that be okay?"

Samantha bobbed her head excitedly. "Would you, Severus?"

Seeing no escape in sight, Severus nodded his head. "I would."

Samantha grinned, scooping for another bite that missed her mouth entirely.

...

They continued that way for a long while. Severus would come over on nights when he and Hermione weren't working in the lab, and read to Samantha. She would beg and plead for him to stay the night, and thrice since then had gotten her wish. The three of them would trudge into Hermione's room, and fall sleep with Samantha settled comfortably between them. In the mornings, he would make them breakfast. It felt very much like a happy family, except that Severus and Hermione had yet to tackle the question of their own personal relationship. Should they presume their courting? Should they start over? Should she be the one to make the first move, or would he prefer to?

The answer to that question came during dinner near the end of term, while she and the other teachers were dining at the Head Table in the Great Hall.

"No Samantha tonight?" Remus wondered, sipping at his pumpkin juice.

Hermione shook her head. "She's spending the weekend with Harry and Ginny, getting to know her 'cousin'," she told him, finishing up the last of her pudding.

Remus glanced at Severus out of the corner of his eye before he replied, "So, you've got the place to yourself for a little bit, then? No pitter patter of little feet ... no 'little ears'?"

Hermione swallowed the food in her mouth, turning to look at him. She saw Severus's stone-faced expression, followed by Remus's amused one, and nearly rolled her eyes. "I suppose."

"No big plans?" Remus wondered, all but nudging Severus's shoulder.

Hermione wondered if anyone would notice if Severus stabbed him in the leg with the knife he was gripping tightly in his pale hand. "Not at the moment," she replied, with an edge in her voice that said, 'quit it'.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find _something_ to pass the time," Remus added, taking another jovial sip of his drink.

Severus waited a few seconds before standing up from the table, throwing an undisguised glare at Remus before retreating from the room.

Hermione was the one to reach over and smack Remus this time.

"What?" he asked innocently, rubbing his arm.

"What is the matter with you?" Hermione wanted to know, annoyed.

Remus sighed, setting his pumpkin juice back down on the table. "Just giving the man a little nudge."

"You're being a child," Hermione informed him, fighting the flush that was making its way up her neck.

"Hey, you want to continue this passive-aggressive dance around one another? Be my guest," Remus replied. "I just want to see two of my friends happy."

Hermione paused at that, feeling her anger abating slightly.

"Besides, with Samantha out of the 'house', you two don't have any excuses not to be getting lucky," the werewolf added.

Hermione didn't feel too bad about sending his pumpkin juice into the air and dumping it on his head.

...

Hermione sat in her office later that day, grading a stack of papers. The majority of the younger students at Hogwarts had little-to-no experience with muggles, and some of their answers were outright laughable.

A small tapping on her door alerted her to the presence of her visitor.

"Yes?" she spoke, glancing up. "Oh ... hello, Severus."

He nodded his greeting, stepping into the room. "Are you busy?"

Hermione shrugged, setting her quill down. "Just getting a head-start on my marking before my rounds."

Severus nodded, coming to a stop by the front of her desk.

She glanced at him in silence for a moment, wondering what he wanted. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, I don't require assistance, I ..." he trailed off, wondering why she made him so tongue-tied all of the time. "I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to dinner this evening."

"Oh," Hermione muttered quietly. A small part of her mind was screaming, _finally!_ "I'm ... free," she replied.

Severus nodded. "I thought that given the ... would you mind if we dined in tonight? I thought I may prepare a meal in my rooms." He said the last bit with the smallest trace of an incline in his voice, displaying his nervousness unwillingly.

Hermione blinked in surprise, but smiled softly. "That would be wonderful."

"Very well," Severus replied, taking a step away from the desk. "I'll see you there at six?"

Hermione nodded. "I look forward to it."

He left the room without another word, causing Hermione to smile in response. She kind of enjoyed the flustered/unsure-of-himself Severus Snape ... he was cute. Not that she would tell him that just yet - didn't want him running away again.

...

Hermione arrived promptly at six, not wanting to appear too eager by being early, or stir up his ire by being late. He was ready at the door when she knocked, and she smiled in greeting. She forced herself not to play with her hair, happy that she'd done it up in a braid before she'd come down.

"You look lovely," Severus told her, taking in the sight of her light-blue dress.

"Thank you," Hermione replied, stepping into the room so that he could close the door. "You look handsome as well."

He was dressed in a dark shirt and vest, with dark dress pants. Very sleek and attractive. "You're not too chilled, are you?" he asked her, seeing as she wasn't wearing her teacher's robes, or other dress robes.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm fine. I didn't want to chance leaving my robes here again," she joked.

Severus nodding, allowing a small smirk at her comment. He led her into the dining area, pulling out her chair for her to sit.

She thanked him again, looking at the feast that he had prepared. "This looks incredible," she commented, gazing at the various dishes.

"I wasn't sure what you would prefer, so I made a few choices," Severus told her, sitting across from her at the small, intimate table.

"It all looks so good, I don't know where to start," Hermione admitted.

"I am partial to this dish," he suggested, picking one bowl off the table and presenting it to her.

Hermione smiled, accepting the food. "Then that's where I'll start," she agreed, thanking him with her eyes.

They completed the rest of the meal in relative silence, neither of them really knowing how to act with one another after so long between "dates". Hermione made random comments about the food, or asked him questions about how he prepared it. Severus responded by commenting on the progress of her apprenticeship, and making a few inquiries about Samantha.

By the end of the evening, Hermione was getting very antsy. She didn't know how the evening would end. Should she invite him back for drinks, would he ask her to stay? How would they say goodnight - handshake, kiss, simple farewell? She was torn between not wanting the evening to end, and wanting it to be over with as quickly as possible, so that she could get out of there and stop worrying.

Hermione stood awkwardly in the dining area, wondering how best to excuse herself, or tempt Severus into asking her to stay. "I still have a lot of marking to complete," she stated offhand.

"Ah," Severus responded, looking towards the doorway. "I have a fair amount to do myself."

"Well, this was fun," Hermione told him. "A lovely evening."

"We should do it again sometime soon," Severus offered.

Hermione nodded, following him out of the room and back to the front door. "Absolutely."

They came to a stop in the foyer, glancing at the door. "Well ... good evening," Severus stated.

"To you as well," Hermione added.

They both reached for the door at the same time, Severus's hand folding over top of hers without meaning to. Trapped between his grip and the door, Hermione stared at his hand, following it up to his arm. Her eyes caressed the exposed skin of his neck, past his hair tucked behind his ear, across his pursed lips, and finally up to his dark eyes. Hermione swallowed nervously, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to make some sort of sound.

Severus's hand twitched against hers briefly, her only warning before he took a slow, purposeful step towards her.

Hermione hoped that she didn't look too fearful as he approached and loomed over her, and forced herself not to gulp again. Her skin flushed with heat and the back of her neck began to tingle, her heart fluttering madly as he drew nearer.

"Should I stop?" Severus breathed out when he was less than an inch from her face, peering down at her through half-closed eyes.

Hermione thought about her answer for roughly two seconds before she gave him her answer. "No," she whispered back, and then there was no going back.

...

_End of chapter twenty-six. _

_Okay, I'm honestly on the fence about whether the next chapter will be the last one, or if I should also add an extra, short epilogue. I'll leave that up to you guys, what do you think? Majority wins! _

_What did you guys think of this one? Like it, hate it? _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	27. Chapter 27

_..._

_A Snape/Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Twenty-Seven. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. _

_..._

_A/N: Thanks so much all the awesome reviews, you guys are great! _

_Since the majority of my reviewers requested an epilogue to go with this story, that's how I'll write it - don't worry, there will still be the sequel. _

_And now, the moment we've all been waiting for ... _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

_**~ Previously: **_

_**"Should I stop?" Severus breathed out when he was less than an inch from her face, peering down at her through half-closed eyes. **_

_**Hermione thought about her answer for roughly two seconds before she gave him her answer. "No," she whispered back, and then there was no going back. ~ **_

The warmth of his lips on hers was the first sensation that filled her body. It was powerful and soothing at the same time, and Hermione felt as though she were on one of those amusement park rides ... you know, the ones with the apples that you sit in, and you turn the table to spin the apple faster and faster, until the entire world is spinning around you? As Severus's lips lit a slow-burning - but by no means cold - fire against her own, she felt as though the table was being turned, ever so slowly. Like it was the beginning of the greatest ride of her life, and it had only just begun.

Hermione slid her hand away from the door handle, pulling his hand with her. Not wanting to give him time to pull away, she turned her hand in his, linking their fingers together.

Severus paused against her lips, blinking his eyes open to meet her soft, brown ones.

Hermione pulled her head away from the kiss, looking down as she tried to get her rapid heartbeat under control.

Severus's hand moved, but not the one held with hers. His right hand came up to her arm, sliding over the skin, up to her shoulder. His hand ghosted over her neck, drawing a shiver from her body and a light gasp from her lips, before he drew his forefinger along the curve of her jaw, his thumb cupping her chin. His remaining fingers just barely touched her neck, and he used just enough pressure to ease her head upwards, making her look at him.

"I lo- ..." he trailed off, looking down.

Hermione waited with baited breath, daring to hope at what he was trying to say.

Severus shook his head, clearly struggling with himself to get the words out.

Hermione closed her eyes, shaking her head and pressing herself up on her tip toes. She placed her left hand on the side of his face, drawing him down until their foreheads were touching. "It's okay," she whispered, keeping her eyes closed. She didn't see Severus gazing at her with soft, open eyes. Eyes that were filled with everything that he wanted to say. "You don't have to say it," she assured him, before she tilted her head to meet his lips once more.

Severus surrendered himself to the feeling, promising himself that one day he would have the courage to tell her how he truly felt about her.

Their hands were still joined at the fingers, the attached limbs bending at the elbows to bring the hands next to one another's faces. Hermione squeezed his hand once, before sliding her fingers free and bringing her hand to his opposite cheek, so that she was framing his face with her small hands.

Severus responded by deepening the kiss, bringing his arms around her and holding her tightly.

Hermione slipped down off of her tip-toes, slightly heady from the kiss, but brought Severus along with her. Her back came into contact with the hard, wooden door to his chambers, drawing a gasp from both of them.

Severus took the opportunity of their parted mouths to flick his tongue into her opening, coming into brief contact with her own.

Hermione sank into the feeling, pressing her body into his. She noticed several things at that point. First, his embrace was quite possibly the most comforting and secure hold that she had ever experienced. Quickly following that, she discovered that certain motions - such as wrapping her in said embrace and holding her against a solid door - caused the muscles that she already knew were firm to tighten into a delectably hard form. Third, and quite possibly the most important observation, was that his upper body muscles were not the only parts of his body that were hard. Her body had arched into his, her smaller frame coming into contact with a part of him that was not nearly as shy as the rest of him, pressing hard against her stomach.

Hermione blinked her eyes wide at the feeling, blushing when Severus pulled back from their heated kiss to regard her in confusion.

It didn't take long for him to realize what had given her pause, and he removed his hands from her body slowly, pressing them flat against the wooden material behind her. "If you wish to slow things down, I completely understand." He refused to put her in a position that she was unprepared for ... he felt as though he owed her so much more than that.

"I want ..." Hermione broke off mid-sentence, looking no higher nor lower than his chest, where her hands had slid down from his face. It was the safest option at the moment. "I would ..."

Severus exhaled in a half-sigh, waiting for her inevitable rejection.

"I'd like you to show me to your bedroom, if you wouldn't mind," Hermione managed to speak, forcing away the blush that crept up her delicate neck.

The older Slytherin swallowed nervously at her request. He'd been in hers more times than he could count, but she'd never once stepped foot into his private bedroom.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

Hermione pursed her lips together, knowing what walking into that room would entail. After a moment, she nodded her head purposefully. She pushed her body away from the door, bringing her hands away from his chest and grabbing his left hand with her right.

Severus gazed down at her for another moment before turning away from the door, pulling her behind him and leading her through his rooms.

They moved through the living room, Hermione glancing at the spot on the carpet where he'd brought her back down from her panic attack, his hand rubbing her back while his other was linked with hers on the floor. They continued on, past an open door that led to what appeared to be a private library. Hermione leaned her head back as they continued on, trying to get a better look inside.

"I assure you, you may examine the contents within that room at length on _any_ other occasion," Severus stated, giving her a gentle tug and continuing along to his bedroom.

Hermione smiled softly at that, following behind him. She brought her free hand up to grip his upper arm, feeling a warmth seep through her at the tensing of his muscles.

Soon enough, they were standing at the doorway to his bedroom. With a silent spell, Severus lit the lantern-like torches along the walls of his room, providing a warm, golden light for them to see.

Peering around him, Hermione took in the sight before her. A very Slytherin mixture of black and green, with light traces of silver. His carpet was a plush-looking black, stretching across to dark green walls. The silver light fixtures were the only decorations on the walls, lighting the otherwise dark area for their view. Her eyes moved across the room, past the wardrobe in the corner and the bedside tables, and up to the four poster bed in the middle of the wall to their right. The bed posts were a shining silver, gleaming in the light coming from the torches, and outlines of snake etchings could be seen on the metal. Next, her gaze moved to the large blanket covering most of the bed, in all its deep green glory. The thick blanket covered all the way up to the dark, black pillow coverings. Hermione could only imagine the sheets were a similar color.

They moved into the room silently, coming to a stop beside the bed.

Hermione attempted to calm her nerves, sitting down carefully on the mattress - the decidedly comfortable mattress.

"Are you sure you wish to -"

"Would you stop trying to talk me out of this?" Hermione replied, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "I want this. I want ... you. I just ... can we take it slow?"

Severus nodded, sitting on the bed beside her. "Of course," he assured her, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek. He drew her towards him slowly, hesitating briefly before her lips.

Hermione closed the remaining distance between their waiting mouths, pressing her lips against his. She felt the pressure of his tongue swiping against her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She granted it to him, parting his lips and meeting his tongue with hers. Their tongues massaged against one another, Hermione turning her body so that her right hand rested on the bed while the other came up to his chest, dragging over the fabric of his shirt, tucked under his robes.

Severus's free hand came to join hers, his palm settling over the back of her hand. He held her hand against his chest, allowing her to feel the increasing beat of his heart, showing her just how she affected him so.

Hermione pressed her hand further into his chest, bringing her other hand off of the bed to wrap around his back.

Their bodies dipped at the loss of her hand, and Hermione allowed him to slowly lean her back onto the bed. Severus moved the hand that was cupping her cheek, brushing a few loose strands of hair away from her face. He looked down into her closed eyes, leaning forward to softly kiss each eyelid in turn.

Hermione blinked her eyes open as he drew away from her, surprised at such a ... 'loving' gesture. As she looked steadily into his dark orbs, she realized how open they were. She was just getting used to seeing him open up around Samantha, but to see her looking at her like that ... with eyes so open and honest. It was breath-taking. He didn't say anything, but it was as though he was telling her with his eyes that he wanted to make this moment - this night - perfect for her.

She reached her right hand from around his back, bringing it to his forehead and brushing the hair out of his eyes. She let her fingers trail through the silky locks, drifting down his neck to where skin met clothing. Her fingers toyed with the edge of his dark vest briefly before she slowly, purposefully began pulling it off of his shoulders.

Severus assisted her, moving his arms to pull it the rest of the way off. It would be easy enough to charm the rest of their clothes off, but as Hermione's fingers moved towards the buttons of his long-sleeved shirt, he knew that she wanted to do it herself.

Button by button, she relieved him of the burden of his shirt, flicking the cufflinks open to pull the material down his arms.

With his sleeves out of the way, the black tattoo on his forearm stood out brightly against his skin. Severus moved to hide the mark, not wanting to spoil the mood, but Hermione stopped him.

"Don't hide yourself from me, Severus," Hermione spoke softly, pulling his arm gently around. The bed shifted as he leaned on his other side to balance his weight, Hermione bringing the arm to her lips. She kissed the eternal memento of his previous life with her soft lips, burning a path all around the tattooed flesh, until she came back to where she'd started. A part of her wanted to show him that she loved _all_ of him, not just the good parts, and a part of her was stalling. There she was, lying on a bed with a half-naked man ... her heart was racing a mile a minute.

Severus's voice cut through the din, drawing her eyes to his face. "Do you know what you do to me?"

Hermione turned a light shade of pink at that query, the evidence of his affection still pressing against her thigh.

He leaned down and caught her lips in another kiss, searing this night into their memories. His hands came up to her shoulders, sliding under her and easing her back off the bed, pulling them both up into a sitting position once again. At Hermione's confused look, Severus slowly began easing down the straps of her dress, his fingers ghosting over the skin they passed.

Hermione leaned into his shoulder, pressing her lips against the dip beside his collar bone as she felt his hands drift from her shoulders to the back of her dress.

Severus's fingers found the small zipper holding the garment to her body, and with a gentle-burning touch, he lowered it down her back. He felt her tense slightly in response, so he brought his fingers back up, pressing a kiss to her cheek. The few tendrils of her curly hair that had fallen from her braid were taunting him, so he turned his attention to the done-up hair. Starting at the bottom, he removed the tie holding the braid in form, setting it down on the table beside his bed. Next, he moved his fingers into the braided hair, slowly separating the waves as he moved his fingers through, getting higher and higher as he went. With each section of hair released, he pressed a kiss to her cheek, her shoulder, her forehead ... anywhere he could reach. Finally, her hair was free. With a light ruffle from his hand, her hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her small face.

Severus pulled back to look at her, allowing a small smile to grace the corner of his mouth. "Beautiful," he commented earnestly.

Hermione's mouth parted at his words, and a second later she threw her arms around him, pulling him back to her lips in a heated, frenzied kiss.

His arms wrapped around her, kissing her back with equal passion, letting his hands slide onto the exposed skin of her back, massaging the area.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Hermione pulled her arms free of her dress one at a time, feeling it drop down between them as their bodies moved. She gasped lightly at the feeling of their chests pressed together, leaning further into him. Her mind wondered what it would feel like if her bra weren't separating their skin from searing together. Her hands drifted down to his trousers, finding the buckle of his belt. Not giving herself any time to doubt her actions, she began pulling the belt free from his pants, dropping it down onto the floor beside the large bed. Next, her fingers moved to the snaps on his pants, easing them open.

Once he was able, Severus stood from the bed and pulled his pants free from his legs, leaving them and his socks in a pile on the ground. He turned to Hermione's feet, bringing his hands to the straps of her shoes and releasing each one in turn, pulling them off and setting them down carefully.

With her feet free, Hermione pushed herself back further onto the bed, feeling her dress slide down her body with every movement, until Severus's hands came to her hips to help it the rest of the way. While he was setting the dress on a chair so it wouldn't get wrinkled or disturbed in any way, Hermione pulled the blanket down, discovering the definitely black-colored sheets beneath. As she looked down at the dark sheets under her thighs, the white lines on her skin caught her eye, and she suddenly felt exposed. No one - not even the Weasleys - had seen the scars that her clothes had hidden for so long. She scrambled to grab the blanket before Severus returned to the bed.

He caught her movements, walking around to the other side of the bed to join her under the covers. "What's wrong?" he asked her, hesitant to touch her.

Hermione looked away. "My ... scars," she told him quietly. "I don't want you to see ..."

Severus knew what they'd done to her, he had a fair idea of what those scars would look like. She had seen the scars on his body, and she wasn't running away. He wouldn't run from her, either. Repeating her own words, Severus brought a finger to her chin and made her look at him. "Don't hide yourself from me, Hermione."

She pursed her lips, her fingers digging softly into the blanket clutched to her chest. Hermione blinked a couple of times, looking down at the blanket as she steadied her breathing.

Severus brought his hand up to the blanket, curving his fingers over hers.

Hermione slowly released her hold, letting the blanket go.

Severus eased over top of her under the bed covering, his own dark hair framing both of their faces as their lips joined together once more. Steadying his weight above her, Severus began kissing a trail from her lips to each cheek, and down along the curve of her jaw. His lips moved down to her neck, past her collar bone, sinking into the shallow slope between her breasts. He peered down at her body beneath him, seeing a couple white lines peeking out from the skin underneath her bra.

Severus's lips twitched slightly, but he carried on. He moved further down the mattress, revealing the skin of her belly. As the dim light from the torches hit her newly discovered flesh, more scars could be seen.

There was no particular pattern or purpose that he could glean from the remnants of that night ... just a desire to deform and disfigure.

He didn't travel further down with his eyes; he didn't want to torture her with his gaze. Severus leaned his head down, bringing his lips to a curved scar just above her navel. He felt her sharp, intake of breath when his lips touched the ever-so-slightly rippled skin of the scar, but he pressed on, caressing the skin with his lips and tongue. He repeated the action with the next scar he found, and the next, until he lavished nearly her entire upper body with his sweet gesture.

Severus made his way back up her body after what seemed like hours, noticing the lovely flush that had covered her neck and breasts. Her chest was rising up and down in uneven, rushed movements, her eyes closed and her mouth parted. She truly was a goddess. He wished that he could tell her how much he really did love her ... he wished he could open his mouth and tell her how beautiful she was, how he wanted to be with her forever. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her, but he just couldn't get the words out.

After a moment's debate, he shifted his weight onto one arm, bringing the other to brush across her cheek. "Open your eyes," he spoke in a soft, but still silky voice.

Hermione blinked her eyes open, gazing up at him through hazy, half-lidded eyes.

Once their stares locked, Severus poured into her mind, allowing the words that he couldn't say to seep into her mind. "_You have no idea just how beautiful you are to me, Hermione Granger,_" he spoke into her mind, lowering the hand from her face to slowly slide under her back, unhooking the clasp of her bra. He banished it to the other side of the room with a clever display of wandless magic, focusing his attention back to her eyes. "_You don't know how I wish I could go back and prevent the horrible things that happened ... how I wish I could back and stop myself from ever having been so unpleasant to you, my clever little witch. How I could ever have hurt such a wonderful creature escapes me._"

Hermione's eyes fluttered in surprise at his thoughts, forcing herself to hold his gaze. She brought a hand to his cheek, praying she wouldn't start to tear up.

Severus faltered a moment before banishing each of their remaining undergarments, settling his body more comfortably over hers. "_Are you ready?_" he asked her silently.

Hermione stared into his eyes, so open and full of emotion. It was breathtaking. She nodded her head, bringing her other hand away from her side to grip his shoulder.

Slowly, not wanting to hurt her, Severus lowered a hand to her hips, preparing her for him. As his fingers worked her quivering body, his voice sounded in her mind again, giving her something else to focus on. "_I should have told you countless times how brilliant you truly were - and still are. I should have told you how perfect your potions always were, should have praised your essays for their genius and attention to detail,_" he practically purred inside her mind.

Hermione's hands held onto him for dear life, gazing into his dark eyes.

Satisfied that he wouldn't hurt her with his entrance, he moved his hand away and settled it onto the mattress beside her, settling his weight evenly above her. Severus entered her mind and body at the same time, allowing more silent words to seep into her thoughts. "_When I saw you again, I was desperate to find out everything there was to know about you. I thought it was mere curiosity at first, brought on by mindless boredom. Then I began to discover the person you really are._" His movements were slow at first, allowing her time to become accustomed to the feeling of him within her.

It took everything within her not to close her eyes and arch her neck backwards, but Hermione didn't want to lose the connection that his powers of Legilimency granted them.

Without closing his own eyes, Severus lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly on her parted lips and stealing the breath from her. "_I learned to know you as a mother, a colleague, a friend, a partner ... and now, a lover._"

Hermione moved her hands to his back, her muscles tensing as the friction, and purely glorious feeling of him within her stirred a heat within her that she'd never known.

"_Life has given us both scars that we would rather hide, or wish away. But right here, right now ... I wouldn't have you any other way. To me ... you are perfection."_ His movements within her increased, and he couldn't contain his passion for her. His eyes slid shut as he found her mouth once more.

Hermione had little time to breathe in a short gasp before she was moaning under him, her fingers and nails pressing into his back, clinging desperately to him. She had been a virgin before the attack, and hadn't been with anyone since then ... she'd never known it could feel this amazing. She'd never believed it could ever be this wonderful. Hermione wished that he was still connected to her mind - she didn't have the strength to voice everything that she wanted to tell him. She couldn't have even if she'd had the strength, as his lips and tongue kept her mouth plenty occupied.

The fire within her grew hotter and hotter, and just when she thought that she wouldn't be able to stand it anymore, a most glorious feeling began to erupt within her. Her hazy mind rationalized that it was similar to being struck by lightning, but from the inside, and not nearly as painful. What started as a slow-burning fire from within her lower regions, slowly became a fearsome, blazing inferno. Under his ministrations, that fire was stoked into little sparks of electricity, each one bigger than the last. Hermione's body grew warmer and warmer, flushing red as she arched herself off the mattress and against his firm body. Sweat trickled down her neck, but she couldn't feel such small sensations as the calm dripping of perspiration. Her entire world revolved around the electric surge filling her entire body. The seconds passed, feeling much longer than mere fractions in time. Her body was alight with a passion that rocked her to her core.

When Severus pulled away from the most passionate and heated kiss he'd ever experienced, finally reaching his own peak, four words stumbled from Hermione's mouth without permission. "Gods, I love you."

...

They lay together on his large bed, their naked bodies hidden by the sweat-covered, dark sheet. Hermione's head rested on his outstretched arm, looking up at him. His other hand was stretched across his chest, covering hers where it rested between his pecs.

"Thank you," Severus spoke finally, breaking the silence.

Hermione tilted her head to look up at him, furrowing her brow and gazing at him curiously. "For what?"

"For allowing me to ... and trusting me to ..." He trailed off, unable to finish.

Hermione shook her head, sitting up carefully in the bed. Severus followed after a moment. "No, thank _you_," Hermione corrected him. "I never thought I'd be able to do ... _this,_ with anyone. You showed me how wonderful it can be, when you're with someone you ... when you're with someone you care a great deal about." Hermione finished by tugging lightly at a few strands of her hair, looking down. While she had told him that he didn't have to tell her that he loved her, she still felt awkward that he hadn't said it back - especially considering when she'd said it.

"This was the first time I was with someone I ... care a great deal about," Severus confessed, turning his head to look over at her.

Hermione met his eyes hopefully.

Severus wet his lips with a quick swipe of his tongue, opening his mouth to add a final sentiment, but no words came out. He closed it again, clearing his throat. "I want to say it," he told her after a long moment, looking towards the foot of the bed so that he wouldn't have to meet her eyes. "I want to ... give myself to you, completely. But ..."

"You're afraid of being hurt," Hermione finished for him, knowing exactly how he felt. "You're afraid that if you say it, then this will be real, and it will hurt all the more when it ends."

Severus nodded shortly, staring straight ahead.

"Well, I challenge that hypothesis," Hermione informed him, jutting out her chin defiantly and bringing a hand to his cheek, making him look at her. "Instead of assuming the worst will happen, make the best happen. I don't expect a happily ever after where we ride off into the sunset, and nothing will ever go wrong," she stated. "That would be unbearably dull."

Severus's eyebrow quirked lightly at that, in silent agreement.

"Instead of wondering what will end this, think of all the wonderful things that could happen if this were to last," Hermione continued. "I've never met anyone quite like you, Severus Snape, and I will be quite content to never need to look further than I am looking right now," she insisted, staring pointedly into his eyes. "I want to be with you ... always."

Severus lowered his gaze, his eyes falling briefly over his sheet clutched to her chest with the hand that wasn't holding his face. He pursed his lips before admitted, "I wouldn't detest that."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, leaning forward to capture his lips in a brief kiss. "Is that the best you can do? You, oh terrifying, wicked, evil bat of the dungeons?"

Severus brought his head up sharply at her words, searching her gaze. He saw the teasing tone within her eyes, but also saw the light trace of a challenged.

Quicker than she could have anticipated, Severus rolled them over, tugging her down the mattress until her head rested on the pillow again. His hands gripped her wrists - softly, so as not to actually imprison her - above her head, his gaze keeping her frozen in place. "I would quite enjoy spending the rest of my life doing this with you, my clever little witch," he spoke in a silky drawl before stealing a kiss from her lips.

A smile had formed on Hermione's lips before the kiss was through, her happiness seeping off of her in waves.

A few minutes passed before they pulled apart, slightly breathless. Severus took in the sight of her; sprawled on his bed underneath him, her hair flared out around her on his pillow, her lips pleasantly puffy, her eyes hazy with lust and unmistakable love. Before his brain could intervene and snap his defensive barriers up, three eternal words slipped from his lips, coming through as music to Hermione's delicate ears. "I love you."

...

_End of Chapter Twenty-Seven. Just the epilogue left. _

_Well, what did you guys think of that one? Like it, hate it? _

_I hope the love scenes lived up to the story, I wanted to give them the "moment" they deserved. _

_Can't believe the story's nearly over ... it's been such a long, fun ride! _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


	28. Chapter 28

_..._

_A Snape Hermione fic. _

_Chapter Twenty-Eight/Epilogue. _

_..._

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter ... *goes to weep in the corner*. _

_..._

_A/N: Well, here we are. Finally at the end. Can't believe it's been almost two years since I started this story! It's been one hell of a ride. _

_Thank you everyone who reviewed, you're awesome! _

_Special Thanks to: __**Embodied Frustration**__, for being my first reviewer on this story; to __**lucyferr, **__for your blunt and honest feedback; to __**notwritten, Readerforlife, CeliaEquus, Ell/Skyegirl, Glykera, sweet-tang-honney, Riiiceballe, , thinkb4uact, **__and__** Hermionefan21 **__for leaving the most reviews on my story; to __**Sampdoria **__for leaving some of my favorite reviews; and to everyone who has stuck with this story from the very beginning. Thanks for all the wonderful and touching reviews, you guys are the best muse I could ever have. Thanks to everyone who put this story on their favorites and alert lists, and to those who added this story to their Communities. You're awesome!_

_Also, thanks to everyone who read but didn't review, I'm glad you still kept coming back for more! _

_Alrighty, here goes the epilogue. It's a tad mushy, but I guess I just get sappy at endings. _

_I hope you guys like this one, I know I'll love writing it. _

_As always, please read and review, I live for feedback! _

...

This was to be the most magical Christmas Hogwarts had ever seen. Hagrid had brought in the largest evergreens he could find, enlisting the help of some of the more cheery House Elves to help decorate them. It seemed as though everywhere one looked, the only colors that could be seen were red, green, and some silver. The ghosts were caroling up and down the corridors, Peeves cackling madly as he followed unsuspecting students around with a bundle of enchanted mistletoe. The portraits were traveling to and from each other's frames, recalling past celebrations with wide smiles and gossiping tales. The castle was emptied of most of its students, the majority having gone home for the holidays.

Hermione smiled up at her six-year old daughter, who was sitting atop a pair of broad shoulders with a wide grin on her face. Stretching just a little bit further, she set the star on the top of the tree. "Well done," Hermione congratulated her daughter, loving the look of pure joy on the young girl's face.

Samantha grinned toothily, but then paused as the felt herself being lowered down. "Oh, Daddy, I don't want to go down yet!" she complained.

Severus craned his neck and tilted his head up to get a look at her. "Well, your mother wanted a picture of us all in front of the tree."

"Can't we take the picture like this?" Samantha pleaded, gaining far too much enjoyment from being taller than everyone for a change.

Hermione smiled softly at her daughter, knowing that Severus wouldn't be able to say no to her.

"Alright, you can stay up there for the picture, but then I must go finish dinner," he agreed, straightening his head and meeting Hermione's eyes.

Hermione summoned the camera with a flick of her wand, levitating it nonverbally and situating it where it would get a decent shot of them and the tree. "Everyone ready?" she asked them.

With one hand on Samantha's leg to secure her, Severus reached around Hermione's side with the other, his hand coming to rest on her swelling belly. "I am ready," he informed her, rubbing his fingers soothingly over her belly, and the life growing within it.

"I'm ready!" Samantha stated excitedly, holding onto Severus's dark hair and smiling at the camera.

Hermione brought her free hand up to rest on her stomach, smiling pleasantly as she flicked her wand towards the camera one last time. The flash of the camera shone brightly, causing the ring on her left hand to sparkle magically.

...

The atmosphere of Hogwarts changed drastically the next day. Witches and wizards were hustling and bustling about, putting finishing touches on the castle and grounds for the ceremony that was about to begin in less than an hour. It was not a Christmas celebration, even though it was the morning of Christmas Eve. No, everyone in attendance was there to celebrate the union and marriage of Hermione Granger to Severus Snape.

Hermione smoothed out her daughter's white and pink dress, careful not to disrupt Ginny's fixing of a few stray beaded flowers.

"I don't see why everyone's making such a fuss about it," Samantha commented, trying not to itch at the white tiara sitting atop her head. "You and Daddy have been together practically forever."

Ginny smiled at that, fitting the last flower back into place. "There we are," she stated, standing upright once more. "All fixed."

"Thanks Auntie Ginny," Samantha replied, twirling around and smiling at the way her dress poufed out.

Hermione chuckled, remembering how the dress had gotten snagged in the first place. "Be careful, Sweetie."

"I know, Mummy," Samantha replied, eyeing the coffee table that she'd bumped into last time, and steering clear of it.

With her daughter's dress fixed, Hermione turned her attention back to the mirror, taking in her own appearance.

"You look gorgeous, Hermione," Ginny told her, stepping beside her and gazing into the mirror.

Hermione's dress like nothing she'd ever imagined. They were pure white, and made of the softest fabric she'd ever touched. It was similar to muggle wedding attire, in the fact that the dress had a long train, and a veil that settled atop her head. The dress had several pieces to it, the last of which she was settling over her shoulders now. First, she slid on the white skirt, feeling it mold to her skin. Next, she'd gotten Ginny's help to do up the corset-like top, ensuring that it wasn't too tight on her pregnant belly. She was only four months along, and with the dress all put together, one could hardly tell there was a baby underneath all that fabric. Not that she was trying to hide it ... she was very proud of the unborn son or daughter that Severus had given her. After the corset was in place, a second top was settled over top of it. A half-dress of sorts: two-inch-wide straps covered her shoulders, connecting to another layer of white over her upper torso. It covered her front to her waist, leaving her skirt exposed with its open sides. The train of the dress flowed down the back, one long layer with a shorter one on top. Finally, the last piece was put on. It was like a shawl, covering her shoulders and arms as it wrapped around her, only it was thicker, and less flimsy. The dressmaker had truly gone all-out for this wedding dress. Completing the look was the locket around her neck that Severus had given her three years ago.

Hermione hitched the bottom of her dress up slightly, sliding on her shoes and gaining half-an-inch of height. "You're sure it looks okay?" Hermione asked Ginny, who was holding out her veil for her.

"Not even Severus Snape will be able to hide his awe when you walk down the aisle," Ginny predicted, reaching up to clip the veil into her hair, careful not to mess up the curls.

Hermione had grown her hair out, and it now rested just below her middle back. Ginny and Fleur had pulled the sides of her hair into a soft braid, weaving a string of decorative flowers into it. The rest of her hair hung in curls down her back. Hermione adjusted her veil in the mirror as Ginny fanned out the back, making sure it didn't get caught on anything.

As Hermione looked at her bridal visage in the large mirror, she thought back to the night that had led to this magical day.

~ _Hermione was exhausted, but happy. She'd just completed a three-hour examination to complete her Potions Apprenticeship. She wished she could have done it with Severus, but given their relationship, Minerva had suggested another invigilator. She would know in a day's time if she had passed, and whether she would finally be a Potions Mistress. It had been a long two years. _

_She opened her mouth to announce her presence, but stopped when she heard an excited giggling coming from the living room. "Samantha, if you can not contain yourself, I will summon Dobby to watch you in your room." _

_"Okay, okay, Daddy," Samantha's voice replied back, though Hermione could still hear the hidden laughter bubbling behind the faux calm voice. Her daughter had recently started calling Severus 'Daddy', sneaking it into conversations and then acting as though it were a slip of the tongue. Hermione found it utterly adorable. _

_"What are you two doing in here?" Hermione wondered, walking into the room. She was greeted by the sight of Severus and her five-year old daughter dressed in their finest robes, Samantha holding a smaller version on the bouquet of white roses that Severus held in his own hand. "What's this?" she wondered, her heart speeding up. _

_"Severus has a question for you!" Samantha told her excitedly. _

_"Samantha ..." Severus sighed, looking down at her. _

_Samantha pressed her lips together dramatically, taking a few steps backwards to give them space. _

_Hermione's eyes fell solely on Severus, her lips parting with a shallow intake of breath. She watched him pull a small box out of his pocket. "Severus ..." Hermione breathed out, dropping her Potions bag onto the floor. _

_"Hermione, I -" Severus began, but then hesitated. "I want to ... would you ..." He looked down at his feet, unbearably nervous. "Oh, sod it," he stated a couple seconds later, moving swiftly across the room until he was inches in front of her. _

_Before Hermione could utter so much as a syllable, Severus curved a hand around the back of her head, pulling her into a fast, deep kiss. When he pulled away moments later, he asked her, "Will you marry me?" _

_Hermione gazed back at him with heavy eyes, nodding her head for her lack of ability to articulate herself. _

_Severus smiled - a real, full smile - and opened the box to present a lovely, diamond ring. It was an exquisite cut, sparkling up at her. _

_Hermione threw her arms around him, a stray tear leaking from her eye. "I love you," she told him in a whispered voice. _

_Severus returned the embrace, kissing the nape of her neck. "I love you as well, Hermione." _

_Samantha could no longer contain her glee, and shrieked madly from the other side of the room. Tearing towards them, she caught Severus around his middle when he turned to look at her. "Now you really are my Daddy!" _

_Hermione chuckled at her daughter's antics, smiling even wider when Severus plucked the girl up from the ground, allowing her to wrap her small arms around his sturdy frame. ~_

The girls were interrupted from their thoughts by a knock at the door. "Can the groomsmen enter?" Harry's voice wondered from outside the door. Severus had chosen him as a groomsman to keep the numbers even.

"Come on in," Hermione replied.

The door opened a second later, and Harry and Remus stepped through, followed shortly by Fleur, who had come to get Samantha to prepare her for her Flower Girl duties. Her son, Daniel, followed behind her, his brilliant red hair standing out against his dark robes. Next to Daniel was Lily, dressed similar to Samantha in her own Flower Girl outfit.

Harry walked forward, giving her a careful hug. "You look beautiful," he told her.

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Harry. You look rather dashing yourself." She eyed Harry and Remus's dress robes, and their matching green scarves tucked into their robes - Severus's contribution to the event. Hermione knew he must be getting some pleasure from seeing two devout Gryffindors sporting Slytherin-green on such a ceremonial day.

Remus stepped forward and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, grinning down at her. "You make an exquisite bride, Hermione. Severus won't know what hit him."

"Thank you," Hermione replied, blushing at the outpouring of compliments. "How much longer?" she wondered.

"The Hall is all set up, they're just seating the guests now. Should be about twenty minutes or so," Remus answered.

Hermione turned her attention to the younger children in the room. "You all look so good in your wedding clothes. Are you excited to be a Flower Girl?" she asked Lily, brushing a hand through her soft, red hair.

Lily nodded, smiling up at her godmother. "We're gonna put flowers all over the place!"

Hermione smiled. "You sure are." She smiled down at Danny, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. "You make a charming ring bearer, Danny."

The small boy grinned toothily back up at her, puffing out his chest proudly.

They all chatted together in the classroom that had been converted into a bride ready-room, until there was another knock on the door. Molly Weasley poked her head through the door. "Alright, you lot, time to take your places, we're about to begin."

Remus and Harry left first after saying their goodbyes, moving to the great hall to take their places beside the groom. Ginny and Fleur, Matron of Honor and Bridesmaid, took the girls and Danny out of the room to get them into position. Once they were all out of the room, Molly and Arthur Weasley stepped inside, followed slowly by Jean Granger.

~_"I'm getting married," Hermione told her mother, sitting in a cafe with her and Samantha. _

_Jean's eyes widened, nearly choking on her tea. "Let me see it!" she practically shrieked, diving for Hermione's hand. _

_Hermione held her left hand up so that her mother could see the engagement ring. "That's gorgeous! Severus must do quite well for himself." _

_Hermione shrugged. "Family money," she brushed off. "That's not why I'm marrying him." _

_Jean's eyes softened, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean -" _

_Hermione shook her head. "It's okay." Even after almost two years of meeting with her mother so that she could visit her granddaughter, Hermione still hadn't gotten the hang of small-talk. _

_"When is the wedding?" Jean asked, not wanting to flat-out ask if she was going to be invited. _

_"Christmas Eve," Hermione answered. "We'll be having the ceremony at Hogwarts, in the Great Hall. _

_Jean nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. It would be a magical ceremony then ... no room for 'muggles'. _

_Hermione took pity on her mother, letting her out of her misery sooner rather than later. "I've asked Minerva to allow you entrance to the castle so that you can be there for the ceremony." _

_Jean blinked rapidly, staring back at her daughter. "You're not joking?" _

_Hermione shook her head. _

_Samantha watched her grandmother's eyes begin to water, scrunching her nose in curiosity and confusion as the older woman fanned her face. "Oh, Hermione ... thank you so much." _

_"The invitation is only for you, though," Hermione clarified. "I don't want Paul there." _

_Samantha stiffened at the sound of his name being spoken, subconsciously remembering how much she disliked the man. _

_"That's ... that'll be fine," Jean assured her. She reached across the table, taking Hermione's hand in her own. "I can't believe my little girl is getting married." ~ _

Jean wore a simple, brown dress that came down just below her knees, smiling brightly at her daughter. "You look wonderful."

Hermione smiled back at her. "Thanks."

Molly walked forward, wrapping her arms around the bride. She was content to be pleasant to Mrs. Granger during the ceremony, but she would rather not spend a second longer with her than was necessary. "Are you happy?" Molly asked her seriously, looking into her warm, brown eyes.

Hermione gazed back into the face that had brought her such solace, warmth, security and compassion. She nodded her head, trying to force down the lump in her throat. "I am ... he makes me happy."

Molly smiled. "Then I wish you the best that marriage has to offer, and may you be blessed with many more of these beautiful creatures," Molly replied, patting her belly affectionately.

Hermione chuckled at that, thinking that the one growing in her belly was quite enough for now. "Thank you ... for everything."

Molly nodded, clearing her throat. "We should be getting to our seats."

Before she could leave, Hermione placed a hand on her arm, pulling her gently towards her. She wrapped her arms around the older woman, trying to pour all of her gratefulness and sincerity into the motion. With a soft voice, she whispered in the older woman's ear, "I love you, Mum."

Molly Weasley choked back a sob at that, squeezing Hermione tightly before pulling back, not wanting to wrinkle her robes. "I love you too, dear," she said back, attempting to control her tears of joy. She turned back towards the doorway. "Come, Jean, we should get to our seats."

Finally, Hermione and Arthur were alone.

"Getting to be that time," Arthur commented.

Hermione dipped her head, walking over to him and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you for doing this," she told him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied with a brilliant smile, offering her his arm.

~_ Hermione approached the Weasleys as they were cleaning up the table after Thanksgiving Feast. _

_"You don't need to help out, Hermione, dear. We've got everything in hand," Molly told her, glancing over her shoulder as she set the pots about cleaning themselves. _

_"Actually I was hoping I could talk to Arthur about something," Hermione stated. _

_"What is it, dear?" Arthur wondered, walking over to her. Molly followed suit, flicking her wand towards the dishes to send them into the sink. "Is it Samantha?" _

_Hermione shook her head. "No, it's nothing bad. I wanted to ask you a ... favor." _

_Their expressions relaxed almost immediately, and Molly motioned for them all to sit at the table. "What's on your mind, dear?" the older woman wondered. _

_Hermione pursed her lips, wondering where to begin. "You both have a been a godsend to myself and Samantha. You took me in when my own family wouldn't ... gave me a home, made me a part of your family. You made me feel loved, and treated me as though I were your own daughter ..." Hermione faltered briefly, drawing in a breath to contain herself so that she wouldn't start to tear up. She turned her eyes to the man she so admired, grateful for his bright, beaming face. "Arthur, you've been more of a father than I ever could have hoped for, so I was wondering if you would ... if you would do me the honor of giving me away at my wedding?" _

_Molly put a hand to her heart at that, looking at Hermione adoringly. _

_Arthur beamed with pride, responding to Hermione, "Are you certain?" _

_Hermione nodded her head vigorously. "Absolutely." _

_"Then it would be my honor," Arthur told her, settling a warm hand over hers on the table. ~_

They approached the doors to the Great Hall, coming to a stop several feet behind Fleur. At Arthur's nod, the doors were charmed open. Samantha and Lily walked through first, scattering rose petals all over the long, silver aisle. Once they made it halfway up the aisle, Ginny gave young Daniel a pat to send him on his way. The small, red-haired boy walked proudly up the long aisle, holding the little ring pillow in his hands in front of him. Once they all made it to the front, Molly retrieved them from the aisle and got them into their seats. Next, Ginny began walking up the aisle, her red dress a stark contrast against the silver strip of carpet she was walking on. Fleur followed shortly after her, joining Ginny across from Remus, the Best Man, and Harry.

"Ready, my dear?" Arthur asked Hermione.

She nodded her head softly, and the two began their slow march up the aisle.

Everyone stood from their seats as the bride and her escort came through the doors, several reporters and photographers snapping photos. Hermione smiled at each person as she passed, noting their looks of excitement, awe, and even a little envy.

Her eyes fell on Severus when they drew nearer to the alter, and she found herself unable to look away.

His hands were folded respectfully in front of him, his stance appearing that of someone who was poised and professional. But, if you dared to look up into his face - his hair pulled back into a neat braid so his face _could_ be seen - you would see the lips of a man who was in awe, the eyebrows of a man who very much liked what he was looking at, and the eyes on a man who was in love.

Ginny had been right ... Severus couldn't the emotion on his face, not today.

They passed acquaintances, students, friends and colleagues, ghosts and house elves, and finally family, each one smiling at her in turn. Once they reached the point where Arthur were place her hand in Severus's, Hermione stopped and turned to face him. "Thank you, Arthur."

"Be well, Hermione," he replied, unable to say much more. He carefully lifted the veil over her head, revealing her beautiful, smiling face. Turning to Severus, he brought Hermione's hand up and placed it gently into Severus's palm. "Treat her well."

Severus nodded. "I will."

Hermione smiled at them both, clutching Severus's hand as she walked the last few steps up to the alter. Arthur took his seat next to his wife, everyone else following his lead and sitting down.

Minerva stood in front of them, having happily agreed to perform the ceremony for them. "We are here to celebrate the union of two very special people ..." the older woman began.

Hermione looked over at Severus while Minerva spoke, thinking of everything that had led them to this day.

~_ "Hello, Severus. My name is Samantha," she told him, holding her arm out for him to shake. _

_Snape flicked his eyes to Hermione's, almost seeming to ask permission, and when she shrugged, he reached down and grasped the tiny hand in his calloused, much bigger one." _

_..._

_Finally, she was ready for bed, and she hurried over to give Snape a goodnight hug. _

_He crouched down, patting her back awkwardly while she hugged him and then gave him a kiss on the nose. Hermione bit her lip and fought the urge to laugh at the shocked look on his face, and put Samantha to bed. _

_"I like him, Mummy," Samantha told her as she tucked her in." _

_..._

_"So, you're the only one allowed to stick his nose in other people's business? That's hardly fair. I'm sure Minerva wouldn't condone you sneaking into my rooms, hiding in my bedroom while I changed. Perhaps I'll just ask her." _

_"You play dirty, Miss Granger," he informed her, then walked around her, taking a seat. _

_Hermione smiled as she resumed her seat, missing the amused grin on Minerva's face. _

_..._

_For the first time, Hermione noticed just how close she'd come to him. She could feel his both breath on her skin, wondered how she'd never noticed before just how tall he really was. She could feel her body covering itself with goose bumps, and a slight shiver coursed through her. "Um, sorry about that," she said sheepishly, but couldn't make herself move. _

_He tilted his head a fraction of an inch, almost whispering, "It's understandable. Just don't let it happen again. _

_She nodded slowly, her eyes moving of their own accord to trace the defined features of his face, from his nose which Ron used to mock ruthlessly, to the soft curve of his lips. _

_..._

_"You know, if you weren't so glum all the time, you'd be a lot more attractive," she informed him with a hiccup. _

_He raised his eyebrows at that. "Is that so?" _

_Hermione nodded matter-of-factly. "Although, I suppose half of your thrall comes from your sour disposition." _

_He almost snickered. "I have a thrall now, do I?" _

_"Yup." _

_She tripped over her feet, nearly landing face first, but he managed to catch her and pull her back, standing her upright. _

_..._

_Snape worked very hard not to choke on the food in his mouth. It wasn't easy, but he managed it. "Excuse me?" he wondered, after he swallowed. _

_"Are you married? Uncle Remus is married to Auntie Tonks, Uncle Harry is married to Auntie Ginny, Uncle Bill is married to Auntie Fleur, Uncle Arthur is married to Auntie Molly ... but my mommy isn't married, and I don't know if you are." _

_..._

_Hermione was flabbergasted. "I can't believe that actually worked." She glanced over at Snape, waiting for him to share in her disbelief, but he wasn't looking at her in confusion or surprise. He looked ... transfixed. She found herself caught in his gaze, and couldn't bring herself to look away as his eyes seemed to penetrate into her very soul. Her body seemed to heat up despite the cool temperature around them, and she felt tingles moving up her neck until Samantha patted her knee. _

_"Mommy, he's going away, let's sing another song!" she exclaimed. _

_..._

_Hermione finally had her breathing completely under control, and felt a sense of calm after committing to going after the men who'd attacked her. Along with the calm, she suddenly became aware of the sensations all over her body. The first being that her knees were getting sore. His carpet was nice to the touch, but too thin. The next thing she noticed was that her fingers were locked around his hand, and that his fingers had bent to cover hers. Third, she noticed that his calloused - but not unpleasant to the touch - hand was still holding her chin softly. Finally, she realized that for some strange reason, she had yet to move away from his touch. _

_Her eyes locked onto his as her breath hitched in her throat, and she felt her skin growing hot. All of a sudden, she had too much saliva in her mouth, and the resulting swallow felt too much like a gulp. She felt like she did when he'd pulled her out of the hall and into an empty classroom, and she'd gotten into his face while ranting about her mother. She felt like she had when he brought her home after going out for drinks, and she'd hit him for looking at her memories without permission ... when she'd pushed herself up on her tip-toes so she could reach his ... _

_..._

_Samantha slid off Ron's shoulders, jumping down the last little bit so she could run and play with the toys. She waved at the squid playing in the water and ran to the back of the room to pick up a toy, then went over to the pool to give the toy to the squid. From there, she ran to the corner with the long, stuffed snake and picked it up, tucking the "neck" under her arm so she could pat the head while she walked, dragging the rest behind her. She circled around the giant music box a couple of times, smiling up at the two figures dancing happily to the music. Oblivious to the stares of the two adults in the room, Samantha climbed up on the music box and swayed back and forth with the large figurines, draping the snake over their arms and trying to wrap her hands around their arms so she could dance with them. _

_..._

_"He was always so dour when I was in school. But he's completely different around Samantha. It's nice." _

_Her mother smiled at her daughter's innocent. "I was referring to the 'something' being you and him. I didn't know there was something there." _

_Hermione whipped her head back to look at her mother. "What! No," she whispered. "He's just a friend ... a colleague." _

_Jean Granger nodded her head in false belief. "Sure. That's why he's spending the evening with you and your daughter instead of doing something else for the holiday." _

_Hermione blushed just as Snape looked back over at them, and she felt her heart jump slightly." _

_..._

_Before she could answer, something bumped into Snape's legs, bending his knees forward and forcing him to step forwards to compensate and not fall over. His arms shot out to prevent himself from landing on Hermione, and he ended up boxing her in, pressing her back against the fireplace. Crookshanks wandered out of the room after bumping into Snape, leaving the two standing against each other, their eyes locked and their breathing halted. _

_Hermione's right hand shot up of its own accord, gripping Snape's arm from the outside as she looked up at him. she didn't know what to say, and the first thing that came to her mind blurted out of her mouth. "I'm sorry if you don't want me to call you Severus." _

_Snape blinked, looking down at her as though seeing her for the first time. "It's quite alright, Miss Granger," he stated smoothly. _

_Feeling a little braver, Hermione spoke, "Call me Hermione." Her heart was pounding an uneven beat as he tilted his head, looking at her curiously. _

_"Very well," he replied softly. "Hermione." _

_Hermione's tongue darted out to wet her lips and his eyes glued themselves to her mouth as he watched the action. _

_..._

_After a moment's hesitation, Hermione raised her hand to his face, cupping his stubbled cheek and making him look at her. "I've grown a little fond of you myself," she added. "And I'm no child." _

_Snape shook his head to the side a little, but Hermione left her hand in place. "If you knew what you were saying -" _

_Hermione moved so that she was standing on the bottom step of the Astronomy Tower, standing beside him and at his eye level. "I know what I'm saying," she told him. "And I know what I'm doing." Before he could react, she pressed her lips against his, moving her hand slowly from his cheek to his neck and letting her fingers run through the bottom of his hair. _

_..._

_Hermione chuckled, wiping her eyes on the back of her free hand. "Look, I don't think either of us knows where this is going, and I'm not suggesting we get married or anything, but we could try -" _

_She didn't get to finish. Her vision clouded with wisps of black hair and pale skin before she realized that he was kissing her, and she pressed herself up on her toes, leaning into him and pressing her right hand against his chest while the other wandered its way up his shoulder and onto his neck. It was a brief but powerful kiss, leaving Hermione a little dazed when he pulled away. _

_..._

_"It's too much," Severus announced. _

_Hermione shook her head, gripping the material of his vest against his waist and leaning against him. "It's beautiful ..." _

_He let her rest against him, taking the necklace out of the box and placing the packaging on the table. He flicked open the locket, showing an enchanted center which held visages of her and Samantha, and then the pictures would fade to reveal a serpent on one half of the locket, and a lion on the other. _

_Hermione smiled, asking him to help her put it on. She held her hair out of the way, shivering as his fingers brushed against her skin while he worked the clasp. _

_..._

_"I've been having dinner with Severus Snape for a couple of months now." _

_Harry nodded, his face not portraying any negative emotion. "Okay." _

_Hermione stared at him. "Okay?" _

_Harry shrugged. "Would you rather I scream at the top of my lungs what a horrible mistake I think you're making?" _

_She shook her head. _

_Harry smiled, glancing at his wife. "Good, 'cause I'm not going to." _

_..._

_"He's changed you, too." _

_Hermione replied, "I don't know what you mean." _

_Molly smiled, patting Hermione's hand. "Oh, dear ... don't you realize. You're falling in love with him." _

_..._

_Minerva placed a hand on Hermione's arm. "What happened with you two?" _

_Hermione felt odd talking about this with her old teacher, but she answered the question. "He got freaked out," she said honestly. "I mean, I can't blame him. Me and Samantha are a pretty big package deal, I wouldn't expect him to want to take that on." _

_"Don't tell me you're giving up?" Minerva asked. _

_..._

_"Minerva said you'd talked to her about it before, and you approved me then," Hermione reminded him. "She said that your verbal 'okay' was all the consent she needed. I guess that means you're stuck with me." _

_Severus looked from her to the paper, and back again. "Why are you doing this?" _

_Hermione gave him the academic reason, skipping right over the other one. "Because you were right when you said that I could do so much more than teach Muggle Studies. While I don't plan on giving up that position, I've decided to make a proactive move, and further my education." _

_..._

_Hermione glanced at his remaining shirt. It was similar to a muggle t-shirt, and since it had no buttons, Hermione knew she couldn't remove it without causing him more pain. Unless she used magic. Hermione pulled her want out once more, pointing it at his shirt. His eyes were wary, and Hermione willed herself to be accurate, and not remove ALL of his clothing. "Divesto," she whispered, and a second later his shirt was gone. _

_She was pleased to note that she'd only removed what she'd intended, but the rest of her was frozen at the sight of his bare chest. She'd seen his arms before, but never anything like this. Hermione had to bite back a gasp, taking in the mixture of muscles and scars. There were many of both. _

_Severus cleared his throat, breaking Hermione out of her trance. _

_..._

_"It's been my experience that when a 'love' potion doesn't affect two people, it's because, well ... they're already 'in love'." _

_Hermione blinked, feeling her body sag and her eyes glaze over. _

_..._

_"Your 'staying away' is what's hurting her, you insufferable, stubborn arse!" she announced furiously. Another slap echoed against his face, as her anger and frustration spurred her on. Hermione wasn't sure how many more hits he would endure before he reacted. "For someone so brilliant, you can be incredibly daft sometimes. I don't want you to climb atop the highest tower and scream your love for us at the top of your lungs! I don't even need you to say it! I just need you to stop pulling away from us for caring about you." _

_Still he said nothing, just stared down at her. _

_Hermione nearly snarled in frustration, smacking his sturdy chest with her now fisted hands. 'Just say something, dammit!" _

_Severus allowed her to pound on him for a short while before he stopped her, his hands coming up to grab her wrists._

_..._

_Once he was at eye-level, Samantha gripped his robes with one hand, clenching her tiny fist around the material tightly. "You did hurt me," she told him, sniffing once for emphasis. "You made me very sad." _

_Severus nodded apologetically, opening his mouth to voice his regrets, but she silenced him with her next words. _

_"But, since I love you too, I forgive you," she informed him. Not missing a beat, she leaned forward and pulled him closer at the same time, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. _

_..._

_"So, what should I ask?" he wondered aloud. _

_Hermione shrugged. "What do you want to know?" _

_The smallest traces of a grin could be seen on Severus's face, if you knew where to look. "Everything." _

_..._

_"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to dinner this evening." _

_"Oh," Hermione muttered quietly. A small part of her mind was screaming, 'finally!'. "I'm free," she replied. _

_..._

_"I'd like you to show me to your bedroom, if you wouldn't mind." Hermione managed to speak, forcing away the blush that crept up her delicate neck. _

_"Are you sure," he asked her. _

_Hermione pursed her lips together, knowing what walking into that room would entail. After a moment, she nodded her head purposefully. She pushed her body away from the door, bringing her hands away from his chest and grabbing his left hand with her right. _

_..._

_Repeating her own words, Severus brought a finger to her chin and made her look at him. "Don't hide yourself from me, Hermione." _

_She pursed her lips, her fingers digging softly into the blanket clutched to her chest. Hermione blinked a couple of times, looking down at the blanket as she steadied her breathing. _

_Severus brought his hand up to the blanket, curving his fingers over hers. _

_..._

_Without closing his own eyes, Severus lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly on her parted lips and stealing the breath from her. "I learned to know you as a mother, a colleague, a friend, a partner ... and now, a lover." _

_Hermione moved her hands to his back, her muscles tensing as the friction, and purely glorious feeling of him within her, stirred a heat within her that she'd never known. _

_"Life has given us both scars that we would rather hide, or wish away. But right here, right now ... I wouldn't have you any other way. To me ... you are perfection." _

_..._

_"I would quite enjoy spending the rest of my life doing this with you, my clever little witch," he spoke in a silky drawl before stealing a kiss from her lips. _

_A smile had formed on Hermione's lips before the kiss was through, her happiness seeping off of her in waves. ~_

_..._

When she'd come back to Hogwarts, she'd never expected to find the love of her life, become a Potions Mistress, get married, and have another baby on the way. If someone had told her that would be the result of Minerva's owl, she would have labeled them as certifiable and shipped them off to St. Mungo's.

Now, she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Hermione squeezed Severus's hand gently, pulling herself away from her thoughts and enjoying the wondrous moment.

When Minerva asked the perfunctory, "If anyone can show just cause for why these two should not be united here today, speak now or forever hold your peace," Hermione half-expected Ron to run into the Great Hall like a madman, desperate to stop the affair.

He didn't come, though. Hermione hadn't spoken to him in years, he'd become estranged from his family after his behavior at Christmas. The last Hermione heard, he'd been dismissed from the Chudley Cannons for showing up drunk and/or hung-over one too many times.

She rid all thoughts of Ronald Weasley from her mind, focusing instead on the silence resounding in the Great Hall. Hermione smiled at Severus, knowing that everyone in that room - they included - wanted this wedding to happen.

With a smile, Minerva continued, calling for the rings.

...

"Come on, Samantha, it's nearly your bedtime," Hermione reminded her daughter, attempting to get her to go to bed so she could have some alone time with her husband.

_Husband,_ Hermione thought with a smile. _I could get used to that. _

"But, Daddy promised me a dance," Samantha complained, slipping off her dress shoes. "I'll go to bed after that."

Hermione turned to glance at her husband, who was pulling his wedding robes off to reveal a dark shirt and vest, and matching dark pants. "Well, you _did_ promise," Hermione stated. With a grin, she summoned an old music player she'd found in his private library a couple years ago. Flicking her wand, Hermione set it about playing a soft, pleasant tune.

Samantha held her hands out to Severus expectantly, grinning widely.

Severus sighed in defeat, walking over towards his - now official - daughter. Scooping her up, he began to move around the room in a slow motion, silently hoping that the rocking motion would put her to sleep.

Hermione pulled off her tiara and veil, unhooking the top layer of her dress and setting all the items on the chair in her and Severus's living room. Walking back over to the dancing pair in the middle, Hermione was suddenly struck with one last trip down memory lane.

~ _When the door opened, Hermione expected everything to be as it had been before, but she didn't take into account that their circumstances had changed since they had last been in the room. _

_There were still an extraordinary amount of toys for her daughter to play with, and the miniature giant squid had reappeared, but the giant music box in the middle of the room had changed. Instead of it having the man and woman dancing together on the turning floor, there was a third character on the box ... a little girl who was smiling happily as she danced with the tall, dark-haired man - who suddenly had a face, and looked remarkably like Severus - and the woman who looked too much like Hermione had one hand on the man's shoulder while the other held her swollen belly. ~ _

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, looking at the two of them with wonder and happiness. The first thought that struck her mind, as she brought her hand up to Severus's shoulder and squeezed gently, was that Samantha had finally gotten her perfect dream come true. The second thought that quickly followed that one, was that she had, too.

Looking around the rooms that she and Samantha had moved into, thinking of the family that they had finally become, Hermione Granger-Snape knew that she was finally home.

...

_The end. _

_Wow ... I can't believe it's over. I'm actually kind of sad. Can't wait to get started on the sequel. Once again, thanks for all the amazing review so far!_

_Well, what did you guys think of this one? Like it, hate it? _

_It's definitely longer than I intended it to be, but hopefully it worked out. _

_Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful. _

_Until next time ...! _


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